Malfoy and Miller pt1
by infallible.ink
Summary: Friend of Harry, Brooke Miller, harbors new scary feelings for Draco. The two all too aware of outside disapproval, but it's nothing compared to their own insecurities and distrust of one another. They find out if being together is worth the fight. Starts out from Goblet of Fire 4. Complete updated version
1. The Lake

**A/N:** Hi! :) So, I was rereading this story one day and realized how much of it I wanted to change. Now that I finished the whole story, I kind of wanted to rewrite in a way that tied in more. This one was pretty out of place in comparison to everything else. So, I changed a few things. I took out all the parts written by J.K. Rowling since it was pointless to have it written here (even though I'm trying to keep it in canon).

The chapters might be different too, since I'm making them longer/shorter, etc. Hope you enjoy this new revised version. _8.6.12_

__Thought I might also put in a disclaimer :P Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. The only thing I own is Brooke Miller. Just in case that was never clear. ;) _8.19.12_

* * *

She sat at the fountain, one leg propped up to rest her arm. The smooth skin across her hand turned to a soft orange and a layer of glossy fur ran up to her elbow. She smiled at her work, retracting her claws.

In the corner of her eye she could plainly see the green robes and platinum blonde hair that reeked of Malfoy.

Eventually Brooke decided to look up.

"You have ten seconds to explain to me why I shouldn't use your face as a scratching post," she said calmly while transfiguring both of her arms back to that of a tiger.

"Hm," he chuckled, "You wouldn't dare mess up a face like mine," Malfoy scooted closer. Despite his smirk, he glanced uncertainly at her paws. He gently grasped them and pushed them to a safe distance away.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" said Brooke, slipping quickly out of his hands. This proved her sanity and the loss of his. Malfoy had been acting odd the entire year; except the unsurprising insult or two, but even those were tame. She hadn't forgotten him picking up her books, having fallen from the table after the bell in Transfiguration. Just when she was about to smack him with her book bag, Brooke realized he came over to help instead of kicking them further away.

"I can't have a small little chat?" said Malfoy.

"No, I do find you a bit incapable of a civil conversation," Brooke replied, meaning to shoo him away, however backfiring when he actually laughed.

"You know, I heard from a little someone that Potter turned you down as a date to the ball," he said scathingly.

"Well you better get your rumors straight, seeing as he hasn't even asked me, nor have I asked him," replied Brooke, feeling her cheeks turn red.

"Brilliant. You'll go with me, then," he said. It was a statement, not a question.

Brooke froze, trying to find the catch. Or to at least say something, instead of gaping at him. "Mm…I-I don't know. That spider on your hand seems to take more fancy to you than myself."

Malfoy's hand jumped up, slipped and grabbed onto the stone of the fountain, inches from falling straight into the water. She couldn't help but laugh and help him up.

"Maybe you shouldn't use so much grease in that hair of yours. You're slipping all over the place."

"Ha. Ha. You're so clever," he joked in tone that Brooke never heard. It was just sarcastic joke. No deep contempt, loathing or sneer behind it. "Meet you at seven?" he smiled with a cocky eyebrow.

Something was happening to her and the first thing to pop into her mind was some kind of hex or curse that he must be using. Just ten minutes ago, she could feel the bile rising in her throat with the way he pranced around the school. His smirk she could just smack square in his face to have him running off like a scared mouse.

"You said _yes_?" Hermione's voice squeaked and received a scornful look from the hook nosed Madame Pince in the library.

"No- Well, yes, I did say yes, but I don't know why. But he was…he was actually nice," explained Brooke, realizing the oddity of the statement.

"Are you even sure it was Malfoy?" said Hermione. She abandoned her Potions essay, leaving the parchment and quill sitting patiently to be taken up again.

"Of course I'm sure it was Malfoy. Who else would it be?" whispered Brooke.

"Well, I don't know. But he isn't exactly nice to you," Hermione wore that same look as Ron had when he received his hand me down dress robes.

The more she thought about it, it did seem quite strange of him to come up to her being nice and even having the nerve to ask her to the dance. It must be a joke of some kind. And to think, she was an inch away from letting her thoughts roam to the unthinkable, the unlikely and laughable idea that perhaps, Malfoy was worth fancying.

Everywhere she walked girls were gossiping, huddled in their circles discussing who asked who and what to wear. The boys, on the other hand, were asking left and right, with their friends pushing them to go and keeping them from chickening out. It made her insides squirm from the mere sight of it all. What she needed right now was peace and quiet, especially from anything Yule Ball related.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and herself would walk out to the lake or in the more peaceful parts of the woods Hagrid had shown them. But sometimes, Brooke liked to go by herself, like now.

She breathed in the fresh lake air and sat on a nearby rock, curling half of her face away into her scarf.

It was probably a joke, she though. Yes, that was it. Malfoy planned on asking her to the ball, attempting to make her think he fancied her, then stand her up and laugh as he walked away with his real date. And to think that she had been thinking of him as more than a slimeball in the past couple of weeks.

A rustle of leaves sounded behind her, but she waved it away, thinking it only the fault of the wind.

"Brooke?" someone said.

"Malfoy?" she said, surprised, never coming across the thought of the peace of the lake intertwining with the image of the morally inept boy.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, apprehensively.

"I should ask the same thing. It seems like you just show up now. Stalking me no doubt?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he wore a sympathetic expression and dramatically placed his hand on his chest. "I didn't realize this was _your _part of the lake. Pardon me for intruding."

Brooke rolled her eyes and nestled back into her scarf.

To her surprise, Malfoy walked a couple paces to where she was and sat down beside her in the sand.

She was put on her guard immediately, hand twitching for her wand at any slight suspicion.

"I would never have imagined you coming to this spot. So peaceful and beautiful. I thought you'd fancy looking at mirror," said Brooke.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You know, you're pretty funny for someone with no sense of humor."

"What are you up to, Malfoy?" she glared. "I'm not in the mood for any of your stupid pranks."

For a split second, she saw a pained expression. But before she could give it any thought it became nonchalant and Malfoy cocked an eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Brooke sighed and looked back at the lake.

"It's nice out here," he said softly.

She nodded.

They sat in an awkward silence for a while. Brooke was fidgeting with her fingers, debating in her head whether or not she should leave. Just as she decided, he laughed.

"What?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Nothing," he smiled, clearly amused.

"_What_?" she said angrily.

"It's nothing. It's just," he squinted in thought, "I'm surprised you let me sit here with you. You're not exactly the welcoming type."

Her cheeks flushed in irritation. "Maybe not to someone who has tormented me and my friends for the past four years."

"I admit, not my best moments-"

"Not your best moments?" Brooke nearly yelled. "You've been calling my best friend a mudblood ever since you met her. And don't get me started on what you do to Harry and Ron!"

His eyes were wide with interest and surprise. She wasn't going to break their eye contact, instead glaring at him with as much disgust as she could muster.

"You didn't mention how I always call you a conceited freak of nature," he said.

If it was possible, Brooke narrowed her eyes even more and stood up.

"You can find yourself another date for the dance," she muttered.

"Wait, Brooke," Malfoy grabbed her wrist, still smiling a little.

She wrenched her arm away and when she was only about two feet away, she heard him say something that made her stop in her tracks.

"I'm sorry."

She turned around. His face was unreadable.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "For everything."

Silence passed between them as she stared, trying to make sense of his words. After opening her mouth a couple times, Brooke swallowed and walked briskly towards the castle. If he made any sign of malice or sincerity, she didn't catch it.

"Hey, where did you go? We were looking for you," Harry called after her from the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Oh, I just needed some air," she said. It really wasn't a lie.

Harry and Ron nodded, but Hermione gave her an inquiring look. Knowing there was no reason not to tell someone who could figure out what happened within that ten seconds, Brooke mouthed, _"Later."_

"We were about to head to the common room so that Hermione can finish up our essays," Ron held up two scrolls of parchment.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I said I'd _help_, not _write_ it for you."

A few hours later, Brooke's essay was finally finished. Hermione practically did write it for her, since she kept finding herself staring at a spot in the air. It was far from Brooke's normal work. Considering that her mind was reeling on something completely different from Potions, it was acceptable.

Harry, Ron and Hermione threw their quills and essays into their bookbags and called it a night.

"You go up ahead," Brooke said to Hermione after bidding the boys a goodnight. "I think I'm going to just reread this over one more time."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked, not talking about the essays anymore.

"Uh, yeah," she nodded. "I'll be up there in a minute, though."

As soon as the door closed, Brooke sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. There was no reason to get so worked up over a small and insignificant conversation.

But it _was _significant.

She never thought it was possible for Malfoy to apologize. And even if he did, it didn't necessarily mean he meant it.

So, why did it matter to her so much.

Shaking her head, Brooke walked up into the dorm and found Hermione sitting on her bed, looking at her, waiting for her to explain.

"What happened with Malfoy?"

Brooke restrained herself from rolling her eyes at hearing his name and the foreign feeling in her stomach that now came with it.

"I'm not sure, exactly," she said, sitting across from Hermione. She was waiting for her to continue.

"He…apologized," Brooke told her.

"For asking you to the dance?"

Brooke shook her head. "He didn't exactly say what he was sorry for. But he said he was sorry for everything."

Hermione gave her a skeptical look. "Do you think he meant it?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I'm just thinking too much."

Crawling into her covers, Brooke really wasn't sure of Malfoy's intentions and if he genuinely felt sorry. It didn't matter though, since she was never going to trust him. The only problem was that Brooke wanted to.

The next morning, after eating breakfast with Harry, Ron and Hermione, she received a letter from a handsome black owl none of them had recognized.

the lake after breakfast -Draco

As soon as she opened the note, she hurriedly closed it back up with shaking hands just in time as both Ron and Harry tried peering over to see what it said. "Oh, just something from my sister. I'll read it later, I'm starving," she kept her head down to her plate, but looked at Hermione, who quickly got the clue.

She couldn't bring herself to look over at the Slytherin table, but a good ten minutes later Ron nodded his head to Draco and his posse leaving, "Well, we all know who Malfoy's taking to the ball."

"Oh, who?" Hermione couldn't help but ask and suppressed her giggles.

"Pansy Parkinson, of course," Ron stuffed half and egg in his mouth, "I'm sure she begged 'im to go wif 'im."

"Yeah, probably," said Brooke, her face well hid behind her goblet as she took a sip, "And if you want a date too, you should learn to swallow before you talk."

"Well it's not like _you_ both have dates yet," Ron swallowed and paused for a second, "Do you have dates yet?" Both he and Harry stopped eating, waiting for an answer.

"As a matter of fact we both have gotten asked," said Hermione.

"Someone asked _you_?" Ron blurted out, "Who?"

"You're surprised someone asked me?!"

Harry and Brooke exchanged looks and went back to eating, expecting yet another argument from the two of them. Occasionally, when it was just Harry and Brooke together alone, they would talk about how amazingly oblivious the two were to their own feelings, more Ron than anything though. Whenever either of them brought it up, they would deny it and change the subject not quite smoothly. Brooke drained down the rest of her pumpkin juice and got up. "I'll meet up with you guys later."

"Wait, wait," Ron interrupted Hermione's retaliation, "You haven't even told us who you're going with?"

"You'll just have to find out then won't you…if I decide to take off my mask?"

Brooke turned around and walked, eager to get to the lake and not leave Draco waiting, but several times, she almost decided to turn around and go back to the Great Hall. In all the indecisiveness, she eventually ended up staring at the back of Draco's blonde head, regretting she came. Her feet were about to move backwards into the trees, but he turned around.

"Hey," he said, suddenly standing up.

"Morning," she said tightly.

"Morning," Malfoy nodded back. The air was chilly and she could see his deep breath dissolve into the air.

"Why am I here, Malfoy?" she asked impatiently.

"You're not very good at conversations, are you?"

Brooke started to head back towards the castle.

"Brooke!" he groaned, running to catch up with her.

"Did you really tell me to come all the way down here so that you can insult me?" she whipped around. "You can do that anywhere, you know. You already do."

"I'm only joking around with you," he tried explaining.

"Is that what you think you do? That you just joke around?"

His amused smile faded.

"You're a git, Malfoy," she glared.

"I know that," he smirked. "You, on the other hand…"

"Am what?" she challenged. Brooke took a step closer to him, but he did the same.

"Condescending-"

"Condescending? Oh, please do explain. I'd love to hear it."

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's the way you prance around with your little freakish orange paws," Malfoy retorted. She knocked down his hands held up in front of her and held his wrist more tightly than she meant to.

"If anyone prances around anywhere, it's you and your stupid cronies!"

"At least we don't run around being Dumbledore's lap dogs and pawing for a chance to be glorified heroes of the wizarding world!"

He was being unbelievable. Brooke had to restrain herself from breaking his wrist right on the spot.

"Your point of view is so twisted," she hissed through her teeth. She jerked her arm in anger, accidentally tugging him closer.

"Because yours is always correct, right goody two-shoes?" he said, dripping with malice.

"Is that it? That's why you hate me and my friends?"

"No, I dislike your friends. It's just you that I hate!" he whispered fiercely, inches from her face.

"Me? You hate_ just_ me? I've never done anything to you," she gaped, feeling her eyes water from frustration. "So, why?"

He frowned and glanced down at her lips, causing her to do the same to his. They twitched as if wanted to say something.

Right after he caught her eyes, Draco's arms gripped around her waist and shoulders, enveloping her lips with his own. For the first second, she didn't know what was going on. But the next second, she didn't care. He was so close that Brooke could feel his quick heartbeat right above hers, along with his hand tangled in her hair.

Slowly, they pulled apart.

Their foreheads were pressed together as they caught their breath. The dark, ravenous gaze he wore rang a million bells through her head and Brooke hurriedly pulled herself away from him.

This brought Malfoy out of his own stupor and he held his hand to his head. She might have thought he had a headache if she didn't feel a little woozy too.

"Well, that was," he trailed off, the look of delight turning into fear, "We're not mentioning this to anyone."

"First time we agree on something," she said, still focused on the electrified feeling on her mouth.

Then he walked back to the castle swiftly.

Finally getting a grip on herself, she ran her fingers through her hair.

"What in the hell," she breathed.


	2. Together

Brooke was nearly late to Charms that morning, rushing in right before Professor Flitwick began the lesson. Hermione raised her eyebrow.

She pursed her lips, but the movement made her remember his brushing against them. Quickly looked away, feeling the blush rising to her cheeks. Hermione was definitely going to ask about it as soon as she got the chance.

They had the next two classes with Ron and Harry, so the two didn't get the chance to talk until their lunch period. Hermione had made the excuse that she wanted to try on the new shoes she had sent in for the ball.

"Who are you going with again?" Ron asked.

"Nice try," Hermione smirked. She whisked Brooke away and out of the Great Hall.

"He's really pushing it, isn't he?" Brooke asked about Ron. He'd been jumping at every chance to figure out who had asked Hermione to the ball. And if she didn't know any better, Brooke thought Hermione was enjoying it.

"He'll never figure it out," she shrugged.

They went up to the second floor and into one of the empty classrooms.

"Hermione, before I tell you," Brooke began. "Promise me you'll tell me what you think and not what you want me to hear. And you can't mention this to anyone."

"Of course."

"I went down to the lake to meet Malfoy, obviously," Brooke said, sitting down on a desk. "And we started fighting and yelling. It got pretty bad… of course, up until the point where we started kissing."

Brooke pictured Hermione going into a shock.

She did.

"What?" Hermione gaped in repulsion.

Brooke nodded slowly.

"_Willingly?_"

She had to think for a second. "Not initially, no…"

"So he kissed you first?"

Brooke nodded again.

"And you kissed him back?" Hermione asked slowly and clearly.

Brooke was staring at the etchings on the desk. Her silence registered as a yes.

"You know what this means, don't you?"

"I haven't really lingered on the topic, no," Brooke replied, starting to feel nauseous.

"He fancies you," she said simply. Much too straight forward for Brooke's liking. "And I'm guessing you're starting to fancy him too?"

Hermione asked her hesitantly, looking for a denial or agreement.

"Nothing makes sense anymore, Hermione," she groaned.

"Did anything else happen?"

Brooke shook her head. "Not at all. We didn't say much after that. I think he said something about not telling anyone- oh, well."

The advice Hermione gave her was exactly what Brooke feared. She had to talk to him and they had to straighten out what it meant. Brooke wanted to forget about it and hopefully things would go back to normal. But it never works out that way.

She saw him at dinner, but Malfoy was closely followed by his gang of Slytherins. It wasn't until the next night where Brooke found the opportunity to confront him alone.

A crazy idea popped into her mind and she decided to go along with it. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him back around the corner.

"What are you-"

Malfoy didn't finish his sentence as Brooke kissed him full on the mouth, unintentionally pushing him into the wall.

With her lips locked onto his, she tried to be more aware of what it felt like. But her brain seemed to shut down a little. Everything was on edge. Her original plan was to kiss him and figure out her feelings from there. Now, she couldn't think straight. The only thing she was aware of was Malfoy deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue across her lips. It was hard to repress the moan that rumbled across her mouth and Brooke wasn't sure if she was successful or not. But his had had moved up and gently captured her jaw.

Brooke broke away first.

"Hello to you to," Malfoy said breathlessly.

He moved in to kiss her again, but she pressed a finger to his mouth. "Shh, I'm trying to think."

"Mmkay," he cocked an eyebrow and she put her finger down. "I'll just wait here. Silently. Waiting for you to _think_."

Nothing seemed to be processing in her mind except her irritation at his constant talking. Brooke didn't really need to think. She was trying to find out any other explanation than the obvious.

"Just standing here," Malfoy droned. "After being snogged. Out of nowhere. I'll just wait and cater to your every-"

Brooke kissed him again.

"Is this going to be the only way I can get you to shut up?"

He smirked. "That's not why you kissed me."

"Well, why did _you_ kiss _me_ yesterday?"

Malfoy shrugged, managing to swing Brooke back to being annoyed. "I wanted to." This time, he moved in quickly and stole a kiss. And another.

"Wait," she mumbled against his lips.

He kissed her again.

"Why are we- we shouldn't-" Brooke tried to say in between his kisses and found it harder to form words.

"You're thinking too much," was all he had to say to stop her from holding back. His tongue swept across hers. Brooke couldn't think of anything she wanted more than to stay like this.

So she cursed herself as soon as she pulled away. "What are we doing?"

The spinning feeling was fading away and Brooke tried to keep herself from plunging herself back into his arms.

As if reading her thoughts, Malfoy grabbed her shoulders and was the most serious she'd ever seen him.

"Do you want to kiss me?" he asked.

Just the thought of telling him the truth brought her cheeks to a pale crimson color. Brooke clenched her jaw and nodded.

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's not that simple," she shook her head.

"What's not simple about it?" he dropped his arms to his sides.

"We hate each other."

"Brooke," Malfoy said gently, reeling her in close.

"Draco." Her breath quickened the closer she got.

"Just go with it," he smiled on her lips.

When she stood in the common room a little while later, Ginny was sitting on the arm chair and she and Harry were watching Ron and Hermione going at it again about the dance.

"Please tell me she's lying about having someone to go with?" Ron addressed her, but immediately forgot his question and asked another one, "Why are you so happy?"

Brooke hadn't noticed she was beaming and realized her cheeks were hurting and was still a little flushed from what she claimed was from the wind outside.

"What were you doing outside? It's freezing?" Harry looked up.

"Oh, I was just with me and Hermione's _imaginary_ dates," she joked, shifting the subject away from herself.

"Well, I can expect you to be asked, but Hermione?" said Ron, throwing his arm to gesture at Hermione.

That comment blew Hermione over the top, even Harry's eyebrows shot up into his hair. "Is it so hard for you to believe that I got asked?! Because believe it or not, someone _wanted _ask me. You're just bitter because Fleur turned you down and now you can't get a date!" she whipped her hair and walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

Everyone simply looked at Ron.

"What?" said Ron, trying look as if nothing happened. "She's the one being so sensitive about it."

"You should've just asked her to the dance," Brooke told him, shaking her head.

Ron looked baffled, "I did! Right before you came in. Harry and Ginny saw me, didn't you?"

"It looked more like you insulted her," Ginny scoffed.

Hermione's back was turned from the door, sitting next to the window.

"Are you alright?"

Her bushy hair nodded up and down, but Brooke could hear a small sniffle trying to be concealed. Brooke went to sit across from her and waited for her to say something first.

"I'm just so frustrated with him," said Hermione, putting her chin in her hand, "Thank goodness Krum asked me before that insensitive cow of a boy."

"What do you expect? It's Ron. He's not exactly the most eligible bachelor in London. But for some reason, I think he waited so long to ask you because he didn't want to seem so eager," she couldn't help herself to say.

"I doubt it," Hermione laughed, "Anyway, it's his problem not mine," she got up and opened her Potions book.

Still mad at Ron, Hermione and Brooke went down for dinner at the Great Hall without waiting up for them. Easily, Draco caught her eye, but only for a couple seconds as Hermione gasped and grabbed her arm.

"Did you talk to him?" asked Hermione.

"Talk to who?" Brooke said innocently, failing to mentally tell her cheeks to stop turning red.

"What do you mean 'who'?"

Brooke felt her stomach tie itself into knots at the thought of what happened in the hallway. It was the strangest feeling, being so preoccupied with Draco Malfoy, in a good way.

"It was good," she said with an unreadable expression. "Not much talking really went on."

Hermione tilted her head. "You mean…?"

"I'm in big trouble, Hermione," she groaned.

"So you two…" Hermione said in disbelief.

"This time, it was my fault."

Hermione laughed. "What does that make the two of you now?"

"Together," she said, unable to help the smile unfolding on her face.

"Why didn't you go over and say hi?" she stood up, ready to walk over to the Slytherin table.

"No," Brooke grabbed her arm quickly. "We're not…well, we've decided not to tell people about it."

Hermione sunk back in her seat. "Why?"

Brooke shrugged. "It only makes sense to, doesn't it? Everyone would just be asking questions and I just don't want to deal with it. Neither does he, I'm sure."

"But you just told me," she pointed out.

"Well, you're you. Of course I'd tell you."

"And Harry and Ron?"

"I plan to tell them sometime," Brooke took a bite out of her dinner roll. "But, I think they'll go berserk once I do."

"No, they'll understand," Hermione began to say and then stopped. They looked at each other and then started laughing.

"You're right. I think they'd throw a fit and then go after Malfoy themselves," she joked. "Was it his idea? Not telling anyone?"

"Both of ours," she replied. Then she thought about it for a second. "Actually, it was his idea, but I completely agreed."

Hermione nodded. Wheels seemed to start turning in her head, but Hermione asked before Brooke did.

"You think maybe he's up to something?"

"I thought he might be," Brooke admitted. "But no. For some reason, it just doesn't feel that way.

Not knowing why she decided to turn around to the Slytherin table, she saw Draco half listening to Goyle's story. His eyes looked up to her for a small second and stared back down at his soup with a hint of a smile. Without looking away, Brooke said to Hermione, "You'll tell me, right? You'll tell me if this is the stupidest thing I've ever done?"

Hermione smiled reassuringly.

She could still see the slight twinge of doubt in her face and Brooke realized that this was why it was a good idea to never tell anyone about Draco.


	3. Masquerade

The next few days before Christmas holidays, she and Draco went around the forest and the lake. Once, he took her flying in the middle of the night and came back to an unhappy Hermione who whispered a lecture about the dangers of flying in the dark. A couple times they had came across Hagrid, trouble making first years and to Brooke's horror, Harry and Ron, but every time, they avoided them. Depending on which route they took, they took turns going back into the castle grounds, around five minutes after the other.

Brooke woke up suddenly on Christmas morning to Hermione, who was bouncing on her bed and telling her to wake up. Although wishing she was back to sleep, Brooke loved her child like excitement on Christmas day. It had set a good mood for the rest of the holiday. They opened their presents in their dormitory room with Parvati and Lavender.

Her favorite gifts included an expensive set of sketching pencils that brought drawings to life on the page from Ron and Harry, a Muggle stereo Hermione had charmed to change songs according to the mood of whoever touched it, and an ornate golden locket with no signed giver, but Brooke knew it must have been from Draco.

Wearing the locket, she and Hermione went down to the common room to meet up with Harry and Ron and went to breakfast together. They spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.

Brooke helped out on Ron and Harry's side in a snowball fight against Fred, George and Ginny. Hermione was more than grateful to sit out of the fight and preferred just to watch. After a while, Brooke had to leave to meet Draco in one of the less popular areas of the courtyard.

He insisted she borrow his scarf, since she forgot she had given it to Hermione to hold.

"I love the necklace," she smiled. All day, she'd found herself playing with it mindlessly. "I feel bad about my gift, now."

He chuckled, "Right? I got this amazing necklace and all I get is a bag."

Brooke shoved him on the shoulder.

"I'd like anything you gave me," he pecked her on the cheek and patted the leather messenger bag next to him. "And I do like it. I started using it already, didn't I?"

They couldn't stay with each other for long without their friends being suspicious. Brooke didn't mind, though, since the next time they would meet up would be for the Yule Ball.

When she came back, she had time for a few quick throws and dodging snowballs before she realized how long it would take to help Hermione get ready and get ready herself. It was only five o' clock when they went upstairs and Ron called out, "You need three hours?! Who're you going with?"

Brooke and Hermione rushed up to their dormitory. Three hours would be just enough time. Brooke had a whole makeover plan for Hermione and brought out all the beauty supplies and makeup from their last trip to Hogsmeade. After an hour and a half, she finished up the last bit of powdering on Hermione's face and all Hermione had to do was put on her periwinkle blue gown.

After getting ready herself, it was already six forty five and she slipped into her red dress just in time to walk down and meet Draco. "How do you expect to tell people you two are going with each other?" said Hermione, pulling up the zipper.

"Well, first of all," said Brooke, "it _is _a masquerade ball, so."

"But I'm sure someone will recognize you or Draco. His hair isn't exactly hard to find in a crowd."

"If anyone asks, he's from Durmstrang. We've even came up with fake names. To the Gryffindors, I'm going with Alexandre. To the Slytherins, Draco found a Beauxbatons girl named Celeste."

"What if someone recognizes you both together?"

"We didn't really figure out that part, but we'll just keep moving as fast as possible," Brooke shrugged. "And you know Crabbe, Goyle and their little group, Draco can just say anything and they'll believe it, no questions asked. Although, he said Pansy was being very sour after he didn't ask her."

"I can imagine," laughed Hermione, "I have to go meet Viktor, so I'll see you down there."

Brooke waved goodbye as she left downstairs. She followed soon, after putting on her gold mask and giving a little twirl in front of the mirror to make sure everything was in place.

Scattered in front of the Slytherin dungeon awaited Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, Pansy and Draco. His black dress robes were fitted well to his body. Brooke stifled a laugh when she saw that his silver mask had just as long and thin a nose as the man behind it.

Harry was surprised Pansy Parkinson wasn't draped all over Malfoy's arm, but pouting with some other Slytherin boy. Instead, it looked like he found a pretty dark haired Beauxbatons girl in red dress robes to go with him. She whispered something to Malfoy, who said something to the others. The Slytherins made their way into the Great Hall, leaving only the two. The masked couple began moving toward him, but Harry only thought she was headed to the group of Beauxbatons girls nearby him.

"Harry!" she called to him in a familiar voice.

"Brooke?!" said Harry loudly, making Brooke shush him, looking around to see if anyone had heard him.

"Harry, please don't say anything, okay?" Brooke said urgently.

Ron came up to Harry, pausing for a second to shake her hand.

"Ron Weasley, how are you?" he introduced himself and turned to Harry. "I haven't seen Hermione yet. Reckon she's in her room crying her eyes out since she didn't have a date."

"Ron," Brooke couldn't help but laugh. "Glad to know these masks work."

He peered at her face for a closer look. "Brooke?"

She nodded.

"Where's your date?" he asked before seeing Draco behind her.

"Not very observant, are you Weasley?" Draco sneered.

Ron's face turned to disgust and then looked to Brooke. "No," he said in disbelief.

All she could do was shrug and smile sheepishly.

"Nice dress robes, Weasely," said Draco, smirking.

"You son of a," Ron made for his throat. Harry and Brooke stepped in between them.

"Stop," she warned.

"So what does he have on you?"

"What? No, we're actually going to the dance together."

"Willingly?" he frowned.

"Of course," Draco put his arm around her waist. "After all, we are together now."

"_No_," Ron looked like he was about to gag.

Harry looked straight to her, waiting for her to confirm what Draco had just said and she smiled, apologetically for not telling them sooner.

"If you do anything to hurt her, we'll have you running back to your bloody father," Harry hissed and his eyes were burning with hatred behind his mask.

"Are you threatening me, Potter?" Draco leered.

"I think it's time we all head into the Great Hall," said Brooke stepped between them as Harry reached for his wand, "I can take care of myself. Trust me, and you think I can't handle him if he does something stupid?" Brooke said so that only Harry could hear her.

"I'm guessing you told them," someone interjected.

To her surprise, Draco didn't make any comment about Brooke telling Hermione about them. All three boys stared at her. Her hair was no longer bushy, but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head that took about seven tries and four sticking charms to get it right.

"Hermione?" said Harry, taking his mask off to make sure his eyes were seeing correctly. Hermione blushed and couldn't stop smiling from all the compliments she had gotten, especially from Viktor. Brooke turned to see Ron's expression, since she wanted to make Hermione look absolutely perfect just to spite him, but he had simply walked away towards Padma.

Once everyone was settled in the Great Hall, the grand doors opened to reveal the champions and their dates. They walked up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting. Hermione was beaming with her arm around Viktor and Harry seemed nervous, however, Parvati took most of the attention, waving at her sister and Lavender.

"Hermione looks great doesn't she?" said Brooke, but Ron only grumbled, still watching them with narrow eyes.

"Why Malfoy?" he said, changing the subject, "The guy's a git."

"I know, I know, but he's only like that around his friends. Likes to show off a bit and keep up a reputation, but he's really sweet when you get to know him."

"Sweet? You find him sweet? You sure he's not spiking your drinks with some kind of love potion?"  
"I'm sure, Ron. Just give him a try, please? This should be a good thing right? He won't be throwing insults at you. And you ears won't get all red as much anymore," Brooke smiled.

"Oh, shut up will you?" Ron laughed, "But if he starts anything, I can't promise I'll sit there and take it."

Brooke took Draco's hand, smiling that they didn't have to pretend they hated each other, as long as they had their masks on.

Ron groaned. "I still think you're out of your bloody mind."

They took their seats at a table, which was on the other side of where most of the Gryffindors were congregated. Unfortunately, Brooke had to sit with Slytherins. The two had come up with a background story. So when Pansy asked how they met, they were ready.

"I was on my way in from the quidditch pitch," Draco started, "practicing a few techniques for when the games start back up next year, of course. It was freezing outside and- I have no idea what was going on in my head, but I was already half way to the castle when I realized I forgot my broom. I know," he said in response to Crabbe and Goyle's gaping mouths.

"But luckily, while I was rushing back, someone else was coming towards me with my broom," he smiled at Brooke.

She smiled back as charmingly as she could. When he ran the fake story to Brooke, she thought it was a little too overdone. They could have simply bumped into each other in the hallway or something. Draco, however, wanted a story worth telling.

"And, as my thanks," Draco continued. "I invited her to the ball with me."

"Oh, you brought her to the ball as a favor," smiled Pansy who was sitting on Draco's other side. Even though she was wearing a mask, her eyes were sending daggers straight at her.

"Celeste," Brooke clarified in her French accent. "My name ees Celeste."

She frowned at her for a second and looked back at Draco, placing hand on his shoulder. "That was very sweet of you for welcoming the foreign visitors. After all, that's what all this is about."

"Ah, yes, magical international integration," said Blake smoothly.

"Too bad you're only here for the year," said Pansy feigning sadness.

"I agree," Brooke sighed. "Zere are so many zeengs zat I will miss dearly."

"Like what?" asked Draco, teetering the prongs of his fork on his teeth.

Brooke tried hard not to smirk and blush at the first thing that came to her mind. As a result, she chuckled nervously and looked down to hide the ever obvious red glow she was giving off.

"So, are you two dating?" Pansy snapped, trying to keep her composure as much as possible.

"No!" they both answered, a little too loudly. Even Crabbe and Goyle, the two least observant, had raised their eyebrows.

Brooke and Draco glanced at each other, mirroring one another's blush and alarm. They looked back at the Slytherin table.

"No, we're not togezer," Brooke clarified. "Simply a _favor_ to be given."

Draco nodded.

"And speaking of favors, I believe anozer eez to be given to me for returning your broom," Brooke stood up and turned to Draco. "I suppose you can dance wiz me."

"My pleasure," he smiled toothily and took her hand. She was sure Pansy let out a growl as they walked away.

There weren't very many people on the dance floor, but there was just enough to steer attention away from Brooke and Draco. After sitting through dinner with Draco's friends, Brooke was incredibly relieved to get away. She must have seemed quiet throughout, since she had to run everything through her head before speaking. To her advantage, Hermione placed a charm for the night that allowed Brooke to talk with a French accent. Brooke was never good at impressions and this had to be very convincing.

As for Draco, he watched enough of Viktor Krum's quidditch games to let him ease through the night in front of the Gryffindors.

"I don't remember if I've told you tonight, but you're gorgeous," he said softly against her ear. The song was slow enough to just sway, to which Brooke was thankful. Along with fake accents, dancing was also on her list of inexistent talents.

She ignored the running chills down her back just like she was trying to ignore her stomach doing flips at having his hand gently on her hip. Brooke leaned up to his ear.

"Zat's very sweet of you to say to a _foreign visitor_ such as myself," Brooke said in the most flirtatious and ridiculous voice she could.

Draco laughed. "Pansy can be a little…"

"Obnoxious?" Brooke said before she could stop herself.

"I guess you can say that," he shrugged.

"I zought she was going to tear my eyes out before we had gotten dessert."

"Pansy? No, she's all talk," he reassured. It was difficult to believe since Pansy was staring at them like hawks from the table.

"Some girls, zough, zey will do whatever it takes to get what zey want."

"Well, for now, just forget about her," Draco pulled her closer so that her head rested on his chest, "and dance with me."

Brooke excused herself to the bathroom. The air outside of the Great Hall felt so refreshing against her slightly damp skin. Once the Weird Sisters came onstage, the dance floor had nearly everyone pushed up together and jumping to the beat.

Once she exited the bathroom, she ran into the frowning face of Pansy Parkinson.

"Celeste," she greeted, dripping animosity. "How are you liking the dance?"

"Eet 'as been so lovely," Brooke said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go back to it."

"No," Pansy shook her head and didn't move.

Brooke tried very hard not to roll her eyes and made to move around her. Pansy stepped in front of her.

"I'm terribly sorry, but ees zere somezing wrong?" her voice was surprisingly even for how much Brooke wished to punch her in the face.

"There is something very wrong," she glared and stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I know you're not from here, but Draco's mine."

Brooke simply raised her eyebrow. "Oh? I 'ad not realized zat you were togezer."

Pansy's jaw twitched and she seemed to waver a bit. "We're not exactly, but we'll end up together."

"I zeenk zat also includes 'is decision, no?"

"And you think that his decision is going to be you?" she smirked.

Brooke shook her head. "I 'ave no interests in your pursuits."

"Oh, please," she laughed. "Did you see yourself dancing with him tonight?"

"No, I don't believe zat's entirely possible," Brooke said in a serious voice.

"Stay away from him!" Pansy pointed a finger in her face and Brooke was close to transfiguring to bite it off her hand. While she was persuading herself with how bad of an idea it would be, Pansy had left into the bathroom.

Shaking her head, Brooke walked back into the loud and stuffy Great Hall where she found Hermione.

"Hey," she called her over. Her face was slightly pink, but it seemed like she hadn't stop smiling all night. "I feel like I haven't seen you for the whole dance."

"As it should be," Brooke winked. "You should be with Krum."

Hermione smiled wider and twirled her punch in her fingers. "He's asked me to hang out with him tomorrow."

"Ooh la la, Hermione," Brooke teased. "You know what _'anging out_ means."

"Brooke," she rolled her eyes, blushing fiercely. "I have go to, I told him I'd get him some punch too." Hermione held up the second cup in her hands and hurried over to where Krum was sitting.

Coming through the crowd, off the dance floor, Draco reeled her back in.

At the end of the ball, she said goodnight to Draco and thanked him again for the necklace. He leaned in to kiss her. Footsteps approached them from outside of the Great Hall and Draco stopped an inch from her face.

"Oh, sorry," said Harry, realizing what he interrupted, but Draco said goodnight and left downstairs into the Slytherin common room. Brooke sighed and walked over to Harry.

"Sorry if I was…interrupting anything."

"It's okay. We just wanted to make sure we weren't blowing our cover," said Brooke.

"Are you okay?" asked Harry tentatively. He could always find the slightest hint of something wrong when it came to Brooke.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm just tired," she gave a small smile.

"If I'm being honest, I'm glad I didn't have to see you and Malfoy snogging," Harry smiled back, "It's still hard to believe you're doing this at your own will."

"That, we have in common," said Brooke, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder to balance herself as she took off her heels.

"So, you and Malfoy, huh?"

"Malfoy," Brooke said slowly. "I haven't called him by his last name in quite a while."

"How did this happen anyhow? Just a month ago, you were at each other's throats and now…well, I guess you're still at each other's throats now aren't you," Harry laughed.

"Shut it, Harry," Brooke smiled, "Out of the blue, he just asked me to the ball, then I saw him again by the lake and…I don't know. Eventually, three years of deep loathing went down the drain. It's strange, but it wasn't much of a surprise as it should've been. Almost as if it was creeping on us already."

"You really like him," Harry said.

"Yeah," Brooke said softly. "But you can't tell anyone, alright? Not only will his father disown him and kill me, but everyone around here will start to talk and," she waved her hand. "It would just be messy."

"What would be messy?" Cedric Diggory ran up the stairs toward them with Cho waiting for him in the entrance hall below.

"Erm…me. If I keep walking in these heels," Brooke's voice shot up five pitches and she walked to a corner to conjure off the heels, "I'll be over here, Harry."

She walked up a flight of stairs and leaned on the wall. Cedric seemed urgent about something, so it had to have been something about the tournament. Brooke was growing more and more worried about the second task. They weren't at all close to figuring out that egg. She knew Harry was worried too, but his way of dealing with it was to not deal with it.

"What was that all about?" Brooke walked over just as soon as Cedric left.

"He told me to…take a bath."

"I'm sorry?" Brooke laughed as they continued walking up the stairs to the common room. "He told you…to take a bath?"

"And to take the egg and he even gave me the password to the prefects' bathroom to use," said Harry trying to find any connection it had to do with the second task.

"Ooh, the prefects' bathroom. They have such wonderful smelling soaps and perfumes there."

"You were in the prefects' bathroom?"

"Well…I really wanted to see it last year and Fred and George managed to get the password from someone. It only cost me to try one of their Lobe Lozenges when they first invented it."

Brooke and Harry decided tonight wasn't the best night to take a bath. The dance, although not the most enjoyable, had made them want to crawl into bed and sleep. Once he and Brooke reached the Fat Lady's portrait, they could hear yelling from inside. They climbed into the common room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row. Standing ten feet apart, they were bellowing at each other, scarlet in the face.

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun, and her face was screwed up in anger.

"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"

Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed.

"Well…That's completely beside the point!" Ron finally yelled after her.

Brooke and Harry looked at each other, too tired to say anything. As if there were anything they could say.

* * *

**A/N: So currently, I have this story and another separate one that I'm working on. This story shouldn't take long to update, though. So hopefully I'll see you soon!**


	4. Matters of the Heart

Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. When Brooke went upstairs after the ball, she was acting quite strange, as if nothing happened.

Ron and Harry wasted no time telling them about the conversation they had overheard between Madam Maxine and Hagrid.

"Well, I thought he must be," Hermione said, shrugging. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't be all horrible…It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves…It's just bigotry, isn't it?"

"I don't know," said Brooke, "I've heard such terrifying stories about giants tearing up forests, uprooting trees, stepping on villages. But that sounds the exact opposite of Hagrid."

Everyone seemed to deflate from the elation of the Yule ball and the holidays. Now, it was back to all the schoolwork they tried to ignore. Even though their vacation was over, the snow kept coming. Though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire.

When they arrived at Hagrid's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.

"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow.

"Who're you?" said Ron, staring at her. "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly.

"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.

Soft and unpleasant laughter reached their ears. Brooke turned; Draco and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed her and Brooke soon ran after them after giving Draco a warning staredown.

"I do mind, though," said Harry hotly once Brooke caught up to them. "What's up with him?"

Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. She led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.

Many of the girls "ooooohed!" at the sight of the unicorn.

"Oh it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender Brown, practically jumping up and down in excitement. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.

"Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it…"

She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching.

"Isn't she just so wonderful looking?" Parvati giggled.

"How can you tell if it's a girl?" Brooke asked.

"It's quite easy," Professor Grubbly-Plank came forward, "once you look underneath, but they don't appreciate it too much."

Brooke chuckled and listened to the rest of the lesson until Professor Grubbly-Plank yelled, "Are you paying attention over there?"

Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean were all standing together and she could see a newspaper shaking in Harry's hands. Somehow, she knew that this was mostly likely Draco's fault. As soon as the lesson was over, she made her way towards him. Hermione stopped her and pointed out that the Slytherins and Gryffindors were all around them.

"Fine, I'll just ask Harry," she sighed.

"Do you think this is such a good idea?" Hermione asked.

"No, I'm sure Harry would tell me if Draco did something stupid."

"I mean this keeping it a secret thing," Hermione said. "Don't you think it's not a good relationship if he's always wanting to hide?"

"Normally, I would say yes, but this is Draco we're talking about. It's completely the worst relationship in the entire world to go around publicizing. And within one night while we weren't even ourselves, both of us nearly got death threats."

"I suppose, but are you happy?"

"Of course," said Brooke, pushing down the little nut in her stomach that said otherwise. It was only partly true, when she thought about it. Of course, she was happy about being with Draco, but at the same time, she was completely horrified. It only made sense for the both of them to keep it secret. There was enough drama going on when they hated each other. But it seemed so long ago and now that she was able to just talk to him, part of her didn't care about what people thought.

Harry and Ron waited for them inside. As soon as they got within reach, they shoved the _Daily Prophet_ article in front of them.

They read the most biting and inaccurate depiction of Hagrid. It was a wonder how anyone could believe the piece of garbage.

"How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid _told _her?"

"No," said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."

"Speaking of ferrets, your boyfriend certainly pointed her in the right direction," said Ron, staring at her as if she was the one who told Draco to talk to Rita Skeeter, but Brooke only clenched her teeth, furious.

"Come on, it wasn't Brooke's fault," said Hermione. "Maybe she heard Hagrid telling Madame Maxine at the ball," said Hermione quietly.

"We'd have seen her in the garden!" said Ron. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her…"

"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger.

"I don't think so," said Brooke, mopping up the mess, "Those are rare to find in any old store."

"She probably blackmailed someone or I'm sure she's got the money to get one."

"We've got to go and see him," said Harry. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back."

"I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once, though," mumbled Hermione under her breath, "but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione added hastily quailing under Harry's furious stare.

So that evening after dinner, the four of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked and Fang's booming barks answered.

"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!"

"Wake up the entire school, will you?" Brooke shushed him, but he ignored her and pounded on the door even more.

"Brooke, can't you just turn into that tiger of yours and break down the window?" asked Ron, looking through the window.

"Of course not, it's breaking his property. And besides, I'm not even supposed to be doing that unless its practice."

"Every time you do it, it's practice."

"I'm not going to break through Hagrid's window, Ron."

After pounding on the door for ten minutes, they called it a night and went back to their dormitories.

"You still think Malfoy's turned a new leaf?" asked Ron with narrowed eyes.

Brooke gulped and fidgeted with the tassel on the throw pillow. "Of course," she said.

"After all of those things he said about Hagrid? And then bragged about it after?"

She started to feel hot, although she wasn't too sure why. "He was in front of his friends. If he defended Hagrid, they would definitely find out something was wrong."

"And you'd rather defend Malfoy than stand up for Hagrid?" he asked.

"No," Brooke said forcefully. "I wasn't even the one making fun of him. I was just saying that it's normal for Draco to do that. Everyone expects him to."

Ron just shrugged and shook his head.

"I'm not defending what he said about Hagrid!" she said. "You think I'm on his side because we're together?"

Harry and Hermione stayed quiet and she knew it meant that they agreed with Ron. It made Brooke feel sick, knowing they all would rather her just break up with him. She shouldn't have told anyone. She should've just kept it between her and Draco.

Brooke would always stand up for Hagrid. It hurt her in a new way that her friends didn't think so.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" she came over to Draco's desk once their History lesson was over.

Draco looked over her shoulder, no doubt to see if anyone was nearby.

Once his eyes settled back on her, the look on his face was enough to tell her that he was about to act like the git he usually is in public.

"I have much more important things to tend to, Miller," he sneered and his bookbag bumped into her as he left.

Even though she knew he wasn't serious, Brooke stood in the classroom, feeling her cheeks heat from irritation. Draco's head popped back in from the door for a quick second to shoot her a kiss and then he was gone again.

Brooke pursed her lips together. Everything was battling inside her, half filled with butterflies and the other half ready to chuck back up her lunch.

Along with her schoolwork, Animagus lessons started up again. With that, eating and sleeping, she couldn't find much time to spend with Draco.

Harry came up to her one day, furious and close to yelling. He told her about Malfoy ragging on about Hagrid and himself every opportunity he had when she wasn't around. Just as furious as Harry, Brooke sped around the castle to look for him. When she did, he was only with Crabbe and Goyle.

To her surprise, Draco had said something to the two that left him alone once she reached him. Granted, she probably looked like a raging bull.

"Are you really throwing insults around whenever I'm not there?" she asked, trying to keep her voice down.

"What?" Draco's eyes were darting around.

"Stop," she took his face in her hands. "Can we just talk for one second without you having a panic attack that someone will see us?"

"And what do you suppose happens when someone does see us?" he retorted, removing her hands off him.

"I don't care! All I care about is that you've been really ticking off my friends, and me for that matter."

"By doing what? Acting like how I normally act?"

"_Yes._"

"So should I just go around spewing out how much I look up to that giant oaf and wish that scar head was my best friend?"

Brooke glared at him, desperately trying not to hex him.

"Why are you being like this?" she said through gritted teeth.

"I _am_ like this," he snapped.

A group of Gryffindors came down the from the stairs. Draco stalked off quickly. Brooke desperately wanted to curl up in corner and just let herself cry. That wasn't an option, however.

"Headed to class?" Dean came over.

She nodded.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she lied and followed him and Seamus.

Later in the day, Brooke found herself sitting down in the library with a piece of parchment in front of her. She had to talk to someone, someone apart from all of this and couldn't blow their secret.

_Dad,_

_I hope the holidays were great back home. I miss you all very much. This letter might be a little strange, but daddy, I need to tell someone. I have a boyfriend, and don't worry he's a good guy- or at least. Well, just let me explain. He's been poking fun at my friends and I since we were first years, but it turns out, we both fancy each other. I know he's a good guy and you'll have to trust me on this. Harry, Ron and Hermione are hesitant to think so and this is mostly why we've decided on not telling anyone else about our relationship._

_It was going well, but lately, it's been hard to ignore how he is in public. He still acts like before and rags on my friends, but that's how he has to act, isn't it? To keep the two of us a secret?_

_Oh, I don't know what I'm doing anymore, dad. I'd talk to Hermione, but I know all three of them would just rather me break up with him. You probably want the same, no matter who the boy was, right? But, I'm not sure if I can. Or at least, I'm sure I don't want to. I just need to see it from an outside view._

_I love you, daddy. I hope this letter wasn't too strange. And I hope you're not sprinting on over this second to have a talk with this boy._

_Much love,_

_Brooke_

She sealed the letter and tied it to Caleb's leg.

"Be quick, okay?" Brooke petted his head. "And give him a peck on the cheek for me."

The response came the next day and Brooke was very grateful for Caleb's incredible speed. She had to remember to buy him more treats and a toy as soon as possible. When she got the letter, Brooke left the Great Hall and sat in the courtyard.

_Little Tiger,_

_We had a wonderful holiday and missed you dearly as well. Now about this boy, I can't say I whole heartedly approve. But I just want you to be happy and safe. I have met your friends before, and you can talk to them no matter what. Don't forget that. However, I understand why you feel hesitant to._

_I haven't yet met this boy yet, I assume, so I can't say much about him. From what you've told me, he should be respecting you and your friends in private and in public. It seems he does respect your relationship and the secrecy of it. But you are worth a million times more than a secret to be kept._

_Not telling anyone about the both of you may have seemed like a good idea at first. As an outside view, I suggest you rethink that idea. As your father, I don't think you should have a boyfriend at all. Your mother, on the other hand, thinks it's okay. Can't argue with that. We know we raised you right. Just remember that you are still young and whatever happens is not the end of the world._

_Ps. Next time I see you, I'll need a picture, a thorough description of his personality and a blood test from your boyfriend. And a name would be nice too, I suppose._

_You'll be fine, Brooke. I'll try not to worry too much about it because I know you'll make the right decision._

_With even more love,_

_Daddy Cheetah_

Folding up the letter, Brooke smiled at her father's quirky nicknames. He matched his and her names to their Animagi. Her mother and sister didn't have one, but he still calls them Mama Puma and Little Lion. She laughed to herself.

But that moment faded. Brooke knew she had to convince Draco to stop keeping them a secret. Why did she agree to that, anyway? She decided to tell him on their Hogsmeade trip this Saturday.

Brooke and Draco took the chance to go together, hoping their scarves, coats and the snow would hide them from recognition.

She saw him earlier in the day for a few passing minutes. They put aside what happened yesterday and apologized. There wasn't exactly much time to talk about it, so whatever was the basis of their argument got pushed aside for the sake of peace.

She was excited for Saturday because not only did it mean they might have to stop putting up a charade, but she finally would get to talk to him for more than five minutes. Brooke left the castle grounds with Harry, Ron and Hermione on Saturday, but realized she was late. She waved goodbye and went ahead of them to meet Draco.

When she reached The Three Broomsticks, she searched inside, but didn't see him anywhere. Brooke exited and ran into a couple kissing a few feet in front of her.

"So sorry to interrupt, but have you seen a tall boy waiting around here?"

Then, she recognized his pale pointed face and the blonde hair hanging out above his eyebrows under a dark green and black beanie.

"Leave us alone, Miller," whined Pansy Parkinson.

Trying to say something back, she only managed to get her mouth open before forcing herself to turn around, so she wouldn't punch both of them. She began to walk away quickly, striding to anywhere far away from there.

Brooke couldn't think straight and couldn't register exactly what happened. All she knew is that she deeply wanted to punch something.

The worst part, she thought, was that Malfoy didn't even make an effort to run after her. She had seen mostly surprise in his face. Running back in the snow, she felt nauseous, like her stomach was somehow ripped out of her abdomen and was trailing along behind her. Far enough out of sight, she concealed herself behind a bunch of frostbitten trees.

Brooke wanted to yell out, but her voice drowned out before she could even open her mouth. Tears finally began to spill and the cold wind frosted them onto her face. She wished Hermione, Harry and Ron hadn't been so nice and told her to get out of it while she could. They did warn her. What made her believe that Malfoy would change? Or that he actually liked her? They were all right from the start. She couldn't blame anyone but herself for falling for it.

Suddenly, Brooke wiped off the tears and took a deep breath, ready to head back onto the road.


	5. Late Bath

Hearing footsteps, she peered around and was glad to find Harry, Ron and Hermione. She walked out, giving them quite a startle.

"I thought you were meeting Malfoy?" asked Harry.

"I'd rather hang out with you guys, actually," she tried to say as normal as possible, but still sounded nasal and shaky.

"What did he do?" asked Hermione hesitantly.

"Nothing," she pulled her face into a smile. It didn't hold and it fell back into a frown. Hermione went to go hug her.

"I'll kill him," Harry gritted his teeth.

"No, no," she let go, fixing the smile back on her face. "I'm fine, really."

"What did that git do to you?" asked Ron.

"He was kissing Parkinson," she said casually. "You were right. There was a catch."

"He'd rather kiss her in public than you? Might as well be with a dog," said Ron. "Does this mean we can go knock his teeth out?"

"As much as I would love that, I'm really okay. You don't have to do anything. Let's just hang out at Hogsmeade," Brooke reassured enthusiastically.

They went to Honeydukes and bought tons of candy. All three of them offered to pay for Brooke's share, which she declined. Their last stop had been the Three Broomsticks, where Brooke hoped with all her might that he wouldn't be there waiting for her to talk. Glad and a little disappointed, the pub was crowded as ever, but one quick look around and she didn't spot any sign of him or his friends. They ordered four butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta.

"Doesn't he ever go into the office?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Look!"

She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing.

It was indeed odd that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done, but she didn't think much of it. She didn't think much of anything at all at the moment and tore at the scratchings on the bar counter. She could have easily broken through the wood with her claws if not for Bagman bouncing along towards them.

"Harry!" he said. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going alright?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry.

"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" said Bagman eagerly. "You couldn't give us a moment, you three, could you?"

"Er- okay," said Ron, and they went off to find a table.

"I wonder what he wants," said Hermione as they sat down in a booth, "He's always taking an interest in Harry, lately."

"Good. He's part of the judging," said Ron.

She began to tune them out.

Draco. It was the farthest thing in the conversations they had out loud, but the first thing in her mind. She never liked making big deals about her own problems. And being friends with Harry, she realized there were much more important matters at hand. Although, she couldn't help but be just a little bit selfish.

"He offered to help me with the golden egg," said Harry as he sat down with them.

"He shouldn't be doing that!" said Hermione, looking very shocked, "He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out- haven't you?"

"Er- nearly," said Harry.

"Oh, so you figured out what Cedric's advice was?" Brooke asked.

"Erm, almost there," lied Harry again.

"Cedric gave you advice?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, but it wasn't much," he replied.

"Those goblins didn't look very friendly," said Hermione, sipping her butterbeer. "What were they doing here?"

"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," said Harry, "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."

"Maybe Percy's poisoning him," said Ron. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

It made Brooke laugh for once, but Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look.

Brooke looked towards the door, being a little paranoid she would have to run into a Slytherin, but wasn't that relieved to see who walked in instead. "Ah, wonderful," she stared at the door.

Rita Skeeter entered. They bought their drinks and sat down at a table nearby.

"…didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights…what nonsense…he was always a bad liar. Recon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman…' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo- we just need to find a story to fit it-"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" said Harry loudly.

A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's carefully done eyebrows were raised and her widened eyes carried a glint of interest.

"Great, now she's going to talk to us," Brooke accidentally grumbled aloud.

"Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join-"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," said Harry furiously. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"

"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-"

"Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted. "There's nothing wrong with him!"

The whole pub had gone very quiet. Hermione touched Harry's arm gently to make him sit down, but he didn't move.

Rita Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, "How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid _you _know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your close relationship and comments on your need for adult guardianship. Would you call him a father substitute? I can see the headline now, _Harry Potter Looks to Half Giant as Parental Figure,_" she smirked evilly.

Harry's jaw was clenched and he looked like he was about to hit her.

Brooke's fingers were tapping on the table furiously as she tried taking deep breaths to calm herself. Hermione caught her eye and shook her head.

Unfortunately, it didn't work. Brooke stood up suddenly next to Harry and took his elbow. Initially, she was going to usher him away from Rita. Seeing her smirk, however, prompted her to help Harry punch her in the face.

Hermione got up from her seat quickly and said in a low, cautious tone.

"Let's go. Harry, Brooke," she looked over at Ron and nodded her head towards the door. He almost budged, but looked accepting and intrigued at something happening anyway.

Rita Skeeter giggled. "This will make a very interesting story, don't you think, Bozo?"

"Don't let her get to you," Hermione murmured to both of them.

"Is it always like this, having to look after Harry Potter and his girlfriend?"

She, Harry, and Ron narrowed her eyes at Rita in confusion.

Hermione closed her eyes for a second before slowly turning to face her. It was quiet all except for the green quill speeding across its pages.

"I really don't think this is _any of your business_," Hermione spat.

"Everything is my business," Rita simply smiled. "How about you give me an interview instead? We can talk about your burdens and worries about a dear friend who seems to be on the verge of losing his mind as the tournament progresses."

Hermione's nose flared and the same fire ignited in Harry and Brooke were now present in her own eyes.

"I don't know how anyone can use people just for a stupid story. Even such a horrid woman as yourself," Hermione hissed and bumped hard into her shoulder as she made for the door.

Ron got up to follow and before Brooke did the same, she emptied the contents of the butterbeer in her hands onto Rita Skeeter's head.

People all around her gasped as they saw her hair dripping with butterbeer. Rita Skeeter was so surprised, it looked like she was frozen with her hands up next to her ears, mouth open wide and eyes bugging.

She was surprised herself, but Brooke gave her a sweet smile and reached for Harry's arm.

Everyone in the pub had their eyes on them as they left. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming madly, back and forth across the piece of parchment on the table.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, smiling. "That was brilliant! But now she's definitely going to dig up something to write about all of you…or even make up something ludicrous, especially after that!"

"I'd love to read that!" Hermione yelled as they walked away. Her hair was blowing in the wind as she stormed furiously.

"She's already written loads about me," said Harry. "This won't be anything new."

"For you, maybe. I can't believe you dumped a drink on Rita Skeeter," commented Ron, having to walk faster to catch up to her and Hermione.

"Thanks," she was flushed, feeling much better now that she gotten to yell and ruin someone else's day who deserved it. The blowout was intentionally to protect Harry, but now Brooke felt a swirl of emotions churning in her stomach.

"We _have _to get Hagrid out of his house and make him come back to teach," said Hermione.

"I don't think I've ever seen you like this," Ron said, looking thoroughly amused. "I like it."

For a second, Hermione blushed before they all broke into a run for Hagrid's.

They went back up the road, through the gates flanked with wild boards, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin.

The curtains were drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached.

"Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, "You can't hide anymore! That's letting that sour Rita Skeeter man-woman defeat you!"

Brooke turned into her tiger form. About to pounce the door down, it opened and realized she stood on in front of Albus Dumbledore. Quickly she changed back and brushed off her robes. "I'm so sorry, sir, I-"

"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.

"We wanted to see Hagrid," she smiled sheepishly.

"Yes, I surmised as much," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Why don't you come in?"

They tried talking to Hagrid for a while, telling him how no one cared about him being half giant. It seemed to work a little, but Rita hit a deep scar.

Later in the night, Brooke could hardly sleep and retreated back down to the common room to light up a fire. The couches in the common room were surprisingly comfortable to lie on and were just her length. She stared at the fire, hoping it was entrancing enough to put her to sleep, but it only intrigued her more as the flames danced and leapt into the air. She heard a door creak open from upstairs and turned around. It was Harry tiptoeing out of their dormitory.

"Where are you going?" she whispered.

"What are you doing up so late?" asked Harry, who almost dropped the golden egg out of his hands.

"I couldn't sleep. I thought you said Cedric's advice wasn't much help," she said.

"If I said that I haven't figured anything out, Hermione would've gone ballistic," admitted Harry.

"That's true."

"Want to come? I need all the help I can get,"

"Sure. I have nothing else to do in the middle of the night," said Brooke, hurrying upstairs to grab a swimming gown.

She and Harry went off, holding the golden egg, their swimming clothes and the Marauder's Map in their hands. The halls were so silent, almost like a dull pounding in her ears. They reached Boris the Bewildered, a lost looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands, whispered the password 'pine fresh' to the door nearby and walked in.

Pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, the bathroom looked even more wonderful the second time she was in it.

"That's it, I'm going to be a prefect," said Brooke after she changed underneath the Invisibility Cloak after Harry.

They played around with every single tap. One shot out large pink and blue bubbles the size of her head; another spurted snow white and thick foam; the third one misted clouds of purple hovering above the water. They took a while of their time trying out each and every tap. Harry kept turning on the one that bounced in arcs on the water, making ripples everywhere. Brooke especially liked the one that made all sorts of shapes floating and changing gracefully on the surface of the water. Soon, the entire pool was filled with colors, bubbles and perfumes. They stepped in, deep enough for Brooke's head to be just above the water if she stood on her heels.

She sat on one of the platforms inside the pool, letting her muscles relax in the hot water, while Harry swam a few laps. His head popped out of the water close by her and flipped his hair out of his eyes.

"I'm not feeling any smarter about the clue," he said.

"I don't think he meant you'd literally get it once you stepped into the pool," she laughed. "Why don't you open it again? I haven't heard what it sounds like."

"It's a bunch of screeching and wailing," he grabbed the egg and twisted it open. Brooke covered her ears to what reminded her of cats dying or nails on a chalkboard echoing in the bathroom walls.

"Really pleasant, isn't it?" said Harry sarcastically.

"Oh yes, music to my ears," said Brooke. She was happy she decided to come with him. "Believe it or not, I think I've heard that sound before."

"You mean every time Malfoy opens his mouth?" said Harry and suddenly realized what he said and apologized.

"It's fine, Harry," said Brooke, giving him a small smile despite the twinge of sadness in her side. "But I think it was when McGonagall took me running around the lake to get used to the tiger muscles. Oh, that's right! We came across a horrible rough screech and she pointed out a mermaid that came out of the water."  
"There's mermaids in the lake?" said Harry, looking at the egg in surprise as if it was the actual lake.

"Yeah and…" she wracked her brain to remember what McGonagall had said. "You can't understand what their saying because…because they're not in the water! Same with the egg. They're mermaids. You have to put it _underneath_!"

"This entire time, all I needed was water?"

"Well, go on, open it!" Brooke was excited to figure out what the second task was and that Harry finally didn't have to lie to Hermione anymore. They dunked their heads underneath the water and Harry opened the egg. Instead of her ear drums blowing, they were pleased to hear a beautiful voice singing.

"_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And recover what we took,_

_But past an hour- the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

They emerged from the water to take a breath and decided to listen to it again a couple of times to get it memorized in their head. After the third time, they got it down.

"Mermaids took something that I need to get back," Harry rephrased.  
"In under an hour or else it'll be gone," she finished.

"Those mermaids better be close to the surface. How am I supposed to breath underwater for an hour?"

"There must be a spell or something you could do. We can ask Hermione tomorrow."

Drying themselves off and changing, they tried to remember if anyone had mentioned breathing underwater during class, but it was useless. The halls were just as quiet as they had been when they walked in.

They almost made it back to the room when Harry had dropped the egg, creating a large commotion. Snape nearly caught them, but it was luck that Professor Moody was on their side to dispel his suspicions.


	6. The Second Task

Brooke refocused her eyes, looking through the fifth small print book for anything that had the words "breathe" and "water" in the same sentence.

"I told you. You should've figured it out earlier!" Hermione shut a thousand page book shut.

"Save the lecture after the task, Hermione. I just need a spell and soon," said Harry.

They had spent most of their free time at the library or in the common room, peering over books and Hermione's past lecture notes. Ron suggested Brooke teach Harry how to become an Animagus and turn into a mermaid himself, but it takes years to learn. Lucky for Brooke, her father was a skilled Animagus and began her teaching as soon as she got her letter to Hogwarts.

A first year went up to her in the library and held out a small piece of parchment. It was the fourth note she got from Draco since the Hogsmeade weekend and each one she thanked the student and told them to give back the note.

The fifth note came at night when they pawned through the books in the common room. A shy brown haired first year Gryffindor asked if they knew who Brooke Miller was and they all said she wasn't here.

"He said… if she wasn't here, to ask… if you knew where she was," he said in a small voice.

"Why don't you run along and I'll just go talk to him for you," Ron took the note and smiled with Harry. "If you don't mind, Brooke, we want to handle this." They left the room and Brooke let them go. She couldn't care less.

Malfoy stood right outside the Fat Lady, pacing back and forth and stopped to look up at them. He sighed. "Where is she?"

"Not the point here, Malfoy," said Ron simply and gave him the note back, torn in two pieces. "She just doesn't want to talk to you anymore."

"Look, I need to talk to _her_," he forced a nice tone out of his throat. "Just tell her to come out here…please." he wrenched out the last word.

"Mm…no," Harry shook his head, thoroughly enjoying provoking him, knowing he wouldn't dare say anything back. "I told you not to try anything stupid with Brooke. You should've seen the look on her face when we ran into her," Harry said dangerously in a quiet voice.

"For your information, I _did_ see the look on her face," he said intensely. "And I'm extremely sorry about it, but Pansy's the one that kissed me."

"I don't care," laughed Harry bitterly. "Just stay away from her."

"What do you want me to do? I can't take anything back."

"Like we said," Ron stepped forward in his face, "Stay away from her."

"And you can't do or say anything because Brooke hates you now," said Harry almost happily.

Malfoy looked about to make a break for his wand and hex them, but he stepped back from them and turned swiftly on his heel toward the Slytherin dungeon.

Harry and Ron came back, laughing and happily reenacted the entire scene. Brooke couldn't help but feel a little bad about it, but would rather Draco suffer than have to go and talk to him. He deserved it. Fred and George popped into the room saying McGonagall wanted to see Hermione and Ron.

"Why us?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Dunno," they said. "She was looking a bit grim though," said Fred.

"We're supposed to take you two to her office," said George.

Ron and Hermione looked Harry and the pile of books they stocked up from the library over the past couple days. "We'll be right back. Just keep looking," said Hermione.

Harry and Brooke spent the next hours of the night with the books. By two thirty in the morning, they had looked at every page of every single book and not one would have helped Harry breath underwater.

"It's useless," groaned Harry, dropping his head on the book on the table. They moved from the tables, to beside the fire, to the couches and now sat on the floor, using the foot of the couches to lean back. The low wooden coffee table was pulled in front of them.

Brooke's eyes were starting to droop and reread the same passage she had seen two hours ago. Her eyes shut just for a moment, she promised herself.

The light rays coming from the window made her eyes flutter back open. The same book she was reading last night had slid onto the carpet. The fire had gone out and in her sleep, she huddled up next to Harry with her legs pulled close and resting on top of his own. Her head was resting on Harry's chest as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Harry," she whispered and nudged him awake.

"Hm?" he woke up and put on his glasses. "What time is it?"

"Sir has ten minutes until his second task," a squeaky voice came from above them on the couch. They both jumped up, scared to see Dobby, sitting calmly.

"Ten minutes!?" exclaimed Harry. "I haven't even found a way to do anything! Why didn't you wake us up sooner?"

"I didn't want to disturb you two. Seemed very peaceful and happy to be next to each other," Dobby smiled sheepishly.

"Dobby!" said Harry through his teeth and turned a light pink.

"It's okay. It's okay. You need to get down there and just…erm-" Brooke couldn't think of what to do. It would take ten minutes just to get down to the lake.

"That's it, I'm not going," said Harry hopelessly plopping into the couch next to Dobby.

"Harry Potter _will_ do the task!" squeaked Dobby. "Dobby knew Harry had not found the right book, so Dobby did it for him!"

"Dobby, you don't even know what the second task is," said Harry.

"But Dobby knows, sir!" he said with glee. "He must go into the lake and find his Wheezy."

"My what?"  
"His Wheezy. Wheezy- who is giving Dobby his sweater."

"Ron?!" Harry lifted his face from his hands, "They've got Ron?"  
"Can they even do that?" Brooke asked, appalled at her mental image of Ron, tied up underneath the water for an hour.

"They have, madame! They've gone and he must bring him back!" Dobby pulled out a slimy handful of thick green strings that looked like he stole them from the entrails of an animal. "You've got to eat this!"

"What is it?" said Harry staring at it.

"Tis Gillyweed, sir! It will make Harry Potter breathe underwater," Dobby shoved it into Harry's hands.

"Are you sure about all this?" Brooke asked, swearing she saw it move.

"Very sure! Dobby hears things, he is a house elf, he goes all over the castle as he lights the fires and mops the floors. Dobby heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody in the staffroom, talking about the next task…Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!"

Harry pocketed the gillyweed, jumping from the couch. He wasted no time and grabbed Brooke's hand and ran out of the common room, thanking Dobby. They ran down the stairs, through the corridors and outside to the lake where everyone, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students waited to watch the second task. The seats surrounded the lake and he ran towards the judges' table where Cedric, Fleur and Krum were watching them race down.

"I'm…here," Harry panted.

"Where have you been?" said a bossy, disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!"

She turned around and saw Percy Weasley in place of Mr. Crouch.

"Now, now, Percy!" said Ludo Bagman. "I'm sure he has a good reason why he's late," he winked at them.

"No, no," Brooke quickly said, letting go of his hand, "We were just-"

"-Never mind now. We need to start," Percy interrupted.

Harry looked like he was about to be sick and she couldn't blame him. He was about to jump into a freezing cold lake with a couple hours sleep and going to stuff a gruesome looking plant into his mouth their only reference to what it does was from Dobby. Brooke kissed him on the cheek, surprising Harry and herself.

"Erm. For good luck, of course," she said, feeling herself turn red and hurried over to behind the judging table, too tired to go and find Ginny, Neville, or any other Gryiffindors she knew. Igor Karkaroff, the judge closest to her looked at her, as if waiting for her to leave.

"It's alright, Ms. Miller, you are more than welcome to wait here for your friends after the task," Dumbledore smiled and Karkaroff faced back to Krum in front of him.

Whatever made Brooke kiss Harry on the cheek was the same thing that made her feel worried to the stomach for him. Harry was her friend, she repeated in her head. Still out of breath from sprinting to the lake, her panting began to shake, also partly in fear as the whistle blew and the champions jumped in. All except Harry, who didn't have the time beforehand to take off his socks and shoes disappeared into the depths below. Come on, Harry, hurry up, she said to herself.

He threw down the gillyweed down his throat and chewed furiously. Then, people in the stands began to laugh.

"Go HARRY!" she yelled, making the judges all turn around to look at her. "You can do it!" she kept shouting to him. Percy shushed her, but Brooke just wanted Harry to get into the lake already. Ludo Bagman gave him a little inconspicuous shove into the water. Brooke took a step forward to see if he was swimming, but she could only see the ripples where he fell in. Not coming up, she prayed desperately that he was already on his way to the mermaids. She clutched onto her scarf, eyes frozen to the ripples and suddenly something jumped out of twenty feet from the lake, did a back flip and swam off. The crowd cheered madly and Brooke breathed out, the blood rushing back to her hands and her face.

Her legs felt cramped and she sat down at the end of the box. Without Harry, Ron, Hermione or even Draco, she had no one to talk to, but a lot to think about. She thought about what would happen to Ron and Hermione and the other champions' friends they would "sorely miss." Then she wondered why Brooke herself wasn't in the lake tied up by mermaids. Certainly Harry cared for her, but maybe, she thought, the task only required one of them and Hermione was for Krum.

She remembered this morning how she woke up on Harry's shoulder and how he grabbed her hand. Reasonable explanations, a Hermione-like voice rang in her head. Whenever her feelings for Harry came up, so did her feelings for Draco. It had been a bad idea to not talk to Draco all this time. She wanted to think good of him, but the past three years weren't the best evidence.

The next forty minutes passed and Fleur emerged from the lake, shivering and alone. "Fleur Delacour has dropped out of the task!" Ludo Bagman shouted to the audience. Madame Maxine rushed over to her and put a load of towels around her and she came and stood near Brooke, who stood up.

" 'Oo are you?" she asked, shivering.

"Brooke Miller, one of Harry's friends," she replied.

"Oh, nice to meet you," she said.

Madam Pomfrey came with a potion she made Fleur drink that stopped her from shivering.

"Eets so 'orrible down zere," Fleur said. "Too cold an' dark. I couldn't zee or find where zose mermaids were and zees grindylows attacked me. My poor sister,"

"I'm sure she'll be alright. They wouldn't do anything to harm her."

"I 'ope so," Fleur looked worriedly at the lake.

If the lake was bad enough to make Fleur forfeit, she was terrified for Harry, but tried to reassure herself. Ten minutes later, she saw Hermione and Krum emerge from the water, wiping their eyes and gasping.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" Brooke ran to hug her after she drank Madam Pomfrey's potion and had towels wrapped around her. "And I can't believe you're Viktor's hostage!" she added quietly, smiling.

"Be quiet," she smiled, shaking. "Has Harry and Ron gotten back yet?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," Brooke frowned.

"Herm-own-ninny," Viktor came up to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Hermione replied.

They crowd didn't have much time to die down when Bagman announced Krum being the first one out of the lake as two more heads came out, but it was Cedric and Cho.

"Ooooh," Fleur looked anxious for her sister.

"She'll be alright," Hermione comforted her, "Dumbledore wouldn't let any of drown, so I'm sure she'll be back up as soon as Harry comes."

Fleur gulped and still looked worried.

Now, Brooke began to worry. Harry was running out of time. She and Hermione exchanged their accounts of last night. She and Ron had been put under a deep sleep by Dumbledore and would only awake once they reached the surface of the lake. Brooke kept her eyes on the lake and told her how they stayed up all night and Dobby ended up giving Harry gillyweed.

"Gillyweed?"

"Yeah, he just said it'll help Harry breathe underwater. And a while ago when Harry ate it, he jumped out looking like a frog."

"He ate something odd looking from Dobby?" Hermione looked shocked.

"We woke up ten minutes before the task, Hermione. No time to look it up or anything," said Brooke, pushing Harry and Draco to the back of her mind.

The audience grew silent when Bagman announced that the end of the time limit. They all were looking at the lake, wondering what happened to the last champion.

It was five minutes past the hour the champions had and Brooke could feel her heartbeat pounding. She thought of the grindylows that attacked Fleur, the giant squid and the side effects Dobby probably overlooked from the gillyweed.

Clapping and cheering burst and Bagman was yelling to his wand. Harry, Ron and Fleur's little sister finally came up from the water, pale as ever. Everyone in the judge's booth ran forward to go and help them up. Brooke grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him up with Professor Moody's help. She hugged him tightly and let go because Madam Pomfrey did the same ritual as the other five. Hugging him again, tight so that he would stop shaking, Brooke saw small circles in a line across his cheek.

"Grindylow tentacles," He said quietly, still shivering.

"I'm just glad you're alright and that nasty gillyweed didn't kill you," said Brooke, resting an arm on his back as half a congratulations and half so he wouldn't reach hypothermia.

"You! You saved her! You saved my little sister!" Fleur ran towards Harry, clutching onto her little sister's hand. "And you! You 'elped!" she grabbed Ron's face and kissed him on the cheek. Ron's face turned a light red color, too happy to say anything back. Hermione pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, but then, Bagman boomed into his wand, silencing the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Mercus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions as follows. Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

A polite applause from the stands, but Fleur looked gloomy, "I deserved zero."

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage." A monstrous wave and noise came from the Hufflepuff stands, all yellow and black. "We therefore award him forty-seven points."

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points." Although, second, a hearty low cheer came from the Bulgarians.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all the hostages to safety, not merely his own."

Despite Ron and Hermione's exasperated looks, Brooke's mouth dropped open into a surprised smile.

"_Most_ of the judges," Bagman made a direct look at Karkaroff, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However…Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

She, Ron and Hermione's mouths dropped once again and cheered along with the audience in the crowd. But, Brooke almost immediately noticed the lack of enthusiasm in the Slytherin section. Her eyes scanned automatically for the boy with platinum blonde hair, but it was impossible to point out any familiar face among the beanies, scarves, coats and gloves.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

Brooke went along with everyone into the castle for them to change and get out of the cool wind.

That night, Hermione and Brooke went down to the common room, since she would hate to have Parvati and Lavender, who can hold a secret for at most ten minutes, listening on the conversation.

As soon as they got the fire going, Brooke confessed the other parts of the story of what happened that morning. While she explained waking up to Harry's embrace, holding his hand, kissing him on the cheek and hugging him after getting out of the lake, it didn't seem like anything further from a good friend and Hermione agreed.

"You were just looking out for him," she said, concluding. "Unless you felt like it was more…" she eyed her.

"No, I mean, Harry likes Cho," Brooke looked at her nails.

"Well, she's currently unavailable. And I meant if you felt more, not Harry."

"No," Brooke slouched down on the couch, looking like she was in a therapy session. "I don't think so. We've been friends the longest time and I told you I didn't like him anymore; that lasted about a month. I think I just miss having someone there, in that way." Her fingers ran through her hair.

"Draco?" said Hermione.

He was like a floating buoy in her mind. Every day, she pushed him down to the last of her thoughts, but eventually, she found herself thinking about him and it made her feel sick. She groaned and put a pillow on her face, in some hopeless and silly act to make everything go away.

"I really like him," she said, muffled into the pillow.

"What?"

"I said I really hate him," Brooke said, throwing off the pillow.

"You can't avoid him forever," she said. "I think you should just go talk to him, get everything out, which you should've done in the first place," Hermione added with an I-Told-You-So tone of voice.

They called it a night once Brooke gave in and promised she would talk to him the moment she had the time.

* * *

**A/N: Helloo :) I know these chapters are coming pretty fast, but that's a good thing, right? It's mostly because it's all revision with a little bit of a plot change from the old version. This one didn't have very many changes, but the next one should.**


	7. Pining After Potter

Waking up, she didn't feel as confident in her word as Hermione took it. What would she say to him? She realized a while ago that putting the entire relationship with Draco on hold was much better than facing him and having to break up.

After eating breakfast with Harry and Ron, they walked to Potions class. All the way, the nerves in Brooke's feet would stop short of heading the opposite way and ditching class. Harry, Ron and Hermione practically surrounded her on her left, right and back so she had nowhere to run anyway.

"Here they come now!" Pansy Parkinson screeched. She and the other Slytherins gathered around behind her, including Draco, who Brooke made no eye contact with.

Before any of them could even question her, Pansy threw a magazine at Hermione.

After scanning for a mere second, her eyes looked up, shocked and angry.

"That evil, immoral woman!" she exclaimed and kept reading.

Ron peered over her shoulder and grimaced. "I knew she'd come up with something."

She and Harry looked at them expectantly before Hermione handed over the article.

_Pining After Potter_

_Our Hogwarts hero, Harry Potter, has found a way to warm up during bitter winter season. He and long time girlfriend, Hermione Granger, have tried to keep their relationship away from prying eyes. But their affections have not gone completely unnoticed by fellow students. Many have always assumed the two to be a couple and admired the pairing._

_Their best friend Brooke Miller, however, did not seem to share the same feelings. According to a concerned classmate, Pansy Parkinson has recounted the multiple envious glances Miller has shot their way behind the couple's backs. Not only has Miller been harboring negative feelings, but also acting on them._

_Scandalous behavior has been caught without Granger's knowledge. Such actions must have put a terrible strain on the friendship._

_"Hermione's devastated, of course. She's been crying her eyes out in the bathroom between classes," says Parkinson. "And her grades have been taking quite a toll. I don't understand what's going on in Harry's head, though. Brooke's not the prettiest girl, nor the nicest, but to steal your best friend's boyfriend? That's just not right."_

_Apparently, Potter and Miller have mysteriously sneaked off in the middle of the night into a bathroom, only to return hours later. The two were even late to the Second Task, showing up with clothes askew and looking flushed._

_"Everyone knew why they were late," commented Draco Malfoy, another classmate of the three. "It's not too surprising though. Brooke has a reputation for reeling in good hearted guys and then ripping their hearts out after she gets what she wants. And it wasn't hard to tell that she definitely got what she wanted before the task."_

_Potter, being in the running for the Triwizard tournament, has to get his priorities straight if he's to win the cup. Many are concerned with this new distraction of his and we hope that Harry comes to his senses soon._

All across the page, were snapshots of she and Harry holding hands before the second task and to her horror, pictures of them in the prefect's bathroom. They were cleverly taken, catching them when they came up for air and breathless or standing up afterwards in their towels.

Brooke rolled up the magazine with shaking hands and a deep red creeping on her cheeks. A lump in her throat started to form, but she refused to let it get any worse than that.

She desperately wanted to smack all of them hard in their thick heads and stuff the article down Rita Skeeter's throat. At some point while she read, Draco made his way to the front of the Slytherins.

"That's why I haven't seen you around the castle grounds lately, huh Miller?" Draco took a step forward. She knew he was referring to how much she's avoided him.

"No, maybe I'm still waiting for you in Hogsmeade" Brooke stepped in front of him and said so low that only he could hear. The smirk on Draco's face was glued right on, but his cold grey eyes looked at her. Brooke wasn't sure exactly what was running through his mind, but had a good guess it looked a little like her own thoughts.

With one last second, she felt Hermione move her arm to go into Potions. She took out her ingredients for the Wit-Sharpening potion they were making. She laughed at herself, laughed at the small part of her that hoped she and Draco would stop fighting.

"How did she get those pictures?" Harry muttered.

"I have no idea," she put her head in her hands.

"She has no right even be in the castle," said Hermione in disgust. "Let alone be snooping around the bathrooms."

"Do you think she hired someone to stalk Harry?" asked Ron.

"Professor," someone in the front raised their hand, "I can't really hear your instructions over people talking." Malfoy put his hand down and stared right at them and Brooke's wide angry eyes.

Snape glided over to their table so fast, she thought he disapparated and Brooke couldn't stash the magazine anywhere. He put his hand out and she had no choice, but to give it to him. As if it weren't bad enough to have been ratted out by Malfoy, Snape opened the dog eared page to the article and began reading aloud.

"Pining After Potter," Snape peered over the page, looking at Harry, disgusted and said sarcastically, "…Potter and Miller have mysteriously sneaked off in the middle of the night into a bathroom' …what a scandal. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Trying hard not to create anymore evidence for Rita Skeeter to use against her, Brooke fought not to yell in his face and tell him what a huge git he was.

"Now quit discussing your little dramas and pay attention. Ms. Granger, to the empty seat in the back corner. Ms. Miller, the seat next to Mr. Malfoy. Weasely, stay here and Potter, the table in front of my desk. Go."

She gave a small subtle exasperated look with her eyes to Hermione, who looked sympathetic. Not even wanting to be in the same room, lest the seat next to him, she let the ingredients fly into her bag without care while cursing out Snape in her head. Pansy had a nasty looking smirk on her face. Draco, on the other hand, was looking extremely interested at the inside of one of his bowls.

A while after Snape lectured and let them get to work, Brooke whispered, "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

He paused crushing his beetles, "Oh, so you're actually talking to me?" he continued pounding in the bowl.

"You know certainly well why I didn't want to talk to you," Brooke said quietly, chopping up the ginger root.

"Because you were too busy sneaking off with Potter into the prefect's bath," he spat.

"_Nothing happened_. And you know that. Instead, you told the entire Wizarding world, which includes my parents and family, that I get around- a lot," said Brooke incredulously. The cut up ginger roots were dumped carelessly into her cauldron with some falling on the table.

"With how you were all over Potter?" he whispered angrily, "I made only a slight exaggeration."

"We're just friends, Draco," she said. "And it's not even close to what you did to me!"

"I didn't do anything! She's the one that kissed me!" he leaned in, so Pansy wouldn't hear him. "You, on the other hand, did a lot more than snogging."

"We didn't!" she said loudly, making other people around her stare. Brooke lowered her voice. "I cannot believe you think that I would."

"The pictures didn't exactly help."

In her mind, Brooke kicked over the table, scoured the grounds to find Rita Skeeter and bit her head off. Unfortunately, she couldn't.

"This is unbelievable. I have to defend myself over an insinuation that Harry and I did things when I was standing in front of you and Parkinson kissing."

"And if you had just come to talk to me, I could've explained everything."

"Well, it doesn't change anything. I'm the school whore now, thanks to you," she muttered, throwing her wormwood stems into the cauldron. The liquid splashed out onto Draco's arm.

"You did that on purpose!" he glared and proceeded to chuck in his roots. The hot contents draped her sleeve the parchment she had taken notes on.

Brooke's mouth dropped open.

She began to hurl the rest of her ingredients, as Draco did the same. Their potions spilled and splattered all over the desk. Running out of ingredients, they simply reached in their cauldrons to send globs of the stuff at each other.

"Miss Miller and Mister Malfoy!" roared Snape. "Such juvenile behavior costs you both fifty points from your houses and a week's worth of detention!"

"Professor-"

"I don't want to hear it, Mister Malfoy," he snapped. "No credit for today's assignment. You're lucky I don't automatically fail you both from the class. Now, clean this mess up."

Both of their heads were dripping wet as they sat, jaws and hands clenched.

Brooke wiped off the potion from her face and obeyed without a word.

They were still cleaning up when the rest of the class had left. Harry, Ron and Hermione attempted to help out, only to come across a dangerous look from Snape. They left with sympathetic expressions.

It only took them a few more minutes to clean up to Snape's standards before he released them. Brooke slung her bag over her shoulder and bumped into Draco as they left the classroom.

Transfiguration. Transfiguration was their next class, she remembered.

"That was all your fault," he muttered, walking fast beside her.

"This all started once you decided to snog Parkinson," she said. Her eyes were set straight in front of her, not even wanting to look at him.

"Yeah and right when you saw that, you decided to go off with Potter."

"I'm sorry, did you see us kissing?"

"No, but I did see you two rather close at the Second Task," he narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe it was because he was scared to death that he had to jump into the lake for an hour," she snapped. "I was trying to make him feel better. That's what friends do."

"Friends don't hold each other's hand or kiss each other's cheek," he said scathingly.

Brooke suddenly stopped and faced him.

"And boyfriends go after their girlfriends when someone else kisses them," she retorted, unable to restrain herself before saying, "And they certainly don't hide them with a secret."

Draco grabbed her arm to keep her from speeding off. She looked down, feeling her eyes getting hot.

"What are you talking about?" he said. The lines of harshness were fading from his face and confusion set in.

Brooke sighed. "Us. You wanted to hide us."

"That's what we agreed on."

"I agreed," she corrected. "But I don't know why. Why did we need to keep it a secret? Who cares about everyone else?"

"We had to," he said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Everything would have just been complicated if the whole school knew about us!"

Brooke closed her eyes and pressed her hands to the sides of her head as if trying to hold herself together.

"I don't want to do this right now," she shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. Draco was right in front of her, close enough to lean into. She badly wanted to rest her throbbing head on his heartbeat and have him hold onto her just in case she fell apart. "This was a bad idea. All of it."

She stepped backwards and fidgeted with the clasp behind her neck.

"Stupidest idea we've ever had," she mumbled, pushing the locket into his palm and taking off before he could say anything, before he could say something to stop the tears from streaking down her face.

They went to Hogsmeade the next day to meet Sirius, along with two dozen chicken legs, two loaves of bread and a flask of pumpkin juice. He wanted to talk to them about what's been happening around Hogwarts, about Crouch.

"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"

"No, I think he said he'd been too busy," said Harry.

"Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"

"Erm," Harry thought. "No. I reached into my pockets for it after we were in the forest."

"You're not saying Winky took it in the Top Box, are you?" asked Hermione scathingly.

"Well, I'm sure there were more people in that box. Who else was there?" Sirius paced around the cave.

"A lot of people," said Harry. "Bulgarian ministers…Cornelius Fudge…the Malfoys…"

"The Malfoys!" said Ron suddenly, so loud he echoed in the cave. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy. All of them are death eaters anyway."

"Not all of them," Brooke snapped, realizing she said it outloud. "I would've noticed a huge black mark on his arm."

"Well I'm sure your sorry ex-boyfriend will be one sometime soon," said Ron.

Sirius stopped in his pacing, looking very surprised.

Brooke wished she had never opened her mouth. "Yeah, I went out with a Malfoy."

He shook his head and put his hands up, "No explanation needed. But I would have to agree with Ron," he continued walking. "As much as I would like to promote peace and kindness to you all, it would be best to not get too friendly with the sort. Things like these often get passed down."

"It's not a disease and he's not like his father at all," Brooke couldn't stop herself from defending him. All the while, she felt she needed to. After all, she was the one who actually took the time to know him.

"I'm sure he's not, but considering what has been going on, I wished to give just a small warning," Sirius said gently.

Not wanting to make much out of her small slip of talking about Draco, she breathed instead of retaliating. It had been less than twenty four hours since she gave back his necklace and told Hermione and Ron what had happened in one altogether sentence and that was it.

They spent quite a while in the cave with Sirius, listening to all the news he's been catching in the Daily Prophets. Every phrase and piece of news made the happenings even more confusing. They said goodbye and left down the mountain back into Hogsmeade, where Sirius in dog form, barked a goodbye and turned around.

"We'll catch up with you later," said Hermione. "I need a new quill."

"Oh, well, we'll come along. It won't take long, anyway," shrugged Ron, but Hermione stopped him, saying that they were just going to be talking about a bunch of girl stuff and would bore them anyway.

"Say no more," said Ron, with a disgusted look on his face and he and Harry waved, walking off.

"Girl stuff?" Brooke smiled. "Like what?"

"Like how you haven't even talked to me about yesterday afternoon," she pulled her into Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.

"I told you last night," Brooke looked through a shelf of colorful quills and one particular lime green quill that reminded her of Rita Skeeter. She considered buying it for the opportunity of being able to break it in half.

"All you said was that you gave him back the locket and that was it," said Hermione. "Not really much of anything."

Brooke groaned, not wanting to talk that much. She put a quill in front of her face that camouflaged into any background and blending into her face.

She explained how he said that Pansy Parkinson kissed him and how she told him she didn't want to keep the two of them a secret anymore. When she was done, Hermione gave her a sympathetic look, not surprised at all.

"You didn't want to keep it a secret anymore?"

"No. You were right. I just made it harder to trust him, as if it weren't hard enough already. I thought that maybe he would…" Brooke closely examined a seemingly plain and innocent looking quill called Echo Back. "Like me enough to choose me over his friends," she finished.

"Like me enough to choose me over his friends…" the small quill repeated in Brooke's voice. She looked at it with narrow eyes, not liking to hear her own voice, especially saying something like that.

"It's Malfoy, though," said Hermione. "You must of half expected it at least."

"I tried to, but I really thought he'd change," sighed Brooke, well away from the Echo Back quill.

Forgetting about classes on Monday, Brooke was glad Hermione woke her up just in time. After getting into her dress robes, she grabbed at her bed side table, only to knock her fingers into the hard polished wood. The necklace was gone, she remembered.

As if thought had triggered a switch, Brooke curled up in her sheets, wanting to stay there as long as possible.

Brooke left out the door with her bag to meet Harry, Ron and Hermione in the common room. A flurry of owls came rushing down to their table at breakfast. They kept dropping off letters in all sizes on Brooke's lap. When they were all done, she had about twenty envelopes.

She first opened the one that said Little Tiger. Brooke's stomach cringed while reading the letter from her parents about Rita Skeeter's article. Thankfully, they were more worried than angry. Nonetheless, she had a lot of explaining to do when she got back home.

One letter was a Howler and popped open, screaming at her and calling her names for using Harry. It echoed in the Great Hall, making everyone turn to see what was up. Every letter, she found that morning had something rude, vile and threatening things to her. Most came along with a nice parting gift. One letter, burst open into twenty small spiders, making Ron jump up from the table, frantically shaking off his robes.

"As much as I loved how you told Rita Skeeter off," Ron said, sitting back down and careful to make sure there were no more spiders. "You shouldn't have messed with her. All these letters. Popping spiders," he muttered, not touching the rest of his breakfast.

"I wasn't the only one. If I remember correctly, Hermione did all the talking," Brooke tore open another letter.

"Yeah, but you were the one who poured butterbeer on her," he smiled.

Brooke wasn't listening though, since the letter began to leak a thin glowing yellow liquid all over her hands. It started to make her hands feel like a thousand needles shot into them, digging into her skin. "What kind of person puts acid into their letters! Ugh!" she realized her hands were burning.

"You really need to go Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione looked horrified.

Brooke quickly got up from the table, careful not to touch anything and ran off to the hospital wing. Her hands felt raw in the air and she was now, scared that Madam Pomfrey had no quick and easy cure for acid burns.

To Brooke's relief, she gave her a bowl of lukewarm water mixed with a light blue potion and aloe leaves to put her hands into to stop the burning pain. Looking into the bowl, she saw how red her hands were. The top layer had burned off. Rita Skeeter was definitely going to suffer for this, she thought vengefully. Written words and howlers were things she could easily waive away, but purposefully giving someone acid burns because of a story they didn't know the full details about was completely foul. Madam Pomfrey said she would have had a serious burn injury that took weeks to recover by magic if Brooke left it alone for another few minutes. She gave her a special lotion to put on three times a day for the next couple weeks and her burns would heal quicker and make it bearable for her to move her hands.

Draco had managed to avoid her during their classes and Brooke wondered if he would simply not show up to their detentions during the week. The classroom was empty except for Snape, who sat at his desk scribbling down on a piece of parchment.

"Take a seat, Miss Miller," he said without glancing up. "There is a prompt on the board. I expect you to complete a two foot essay to answer it before you leave."

She sighed, grabbing her quill from her bookbag ready to write about that day's lesson. Brooke didn't even remember what Potion they were brewing.

So she sat there for a few minutes, wondering what she could possible write.

It seemed like Snape had read her mind.

"I expect you don't remember the lecture," he said. "Perhaps you should write about how your childish behavior has allowed you to let unimportant social issues affect your learning in this classroom."

Trying not to roll her eyes, Brooke forced her head back down to her empty piece of parchment.

It only took her a half hour to complete and no one else had entered the room. After handing in her paper, Brooke decided to ask.

"Professor, I know it isn't any of my business, but doesn't Draco have the same detention?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"He has requested to serve his detention at a different time," Snape answered uninterestedly. "And be prepared to scrub the class stock of cauldrons for tomorrow's detention."

Brooke nodded, in disbelief that Draco would go to such measures just to avoid her. Good. It was probably better this way, anyway.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! I certainly had fun writing it :) Don't forget to review please! **


	8. Publicity

Since her burning incident, Brooke decided she wouldn't open any of those letters anymore. Instead, she'd simply have them burst to flames every morning at breakfast. Owls came to the table in flocks, although lessening over time. Each letter she blew up, she couldn't help but think that there might be something even more horrible and dangerous than the acid. Now Brooke understood why Professor Moody was so awfully paranoid.

Most of her friends stood on her side and were almost as peeved off at Rita Skeeter as Brooke herself. The other Hogwarts students she hadn't gotten the chance to know, clearly went out of their way to avoid her or give her loathing looks. One second year named Romilda Vane was the worst, having such a huge crush on Harry. She would hex her every time she had the chance. Eventually, Harry, who felt like part of it was his fault, gave her such a talking to, she stopped and would walk the other way whenever she saw Brooke.

Malfoy cared less. He cared so less than usual that he didn't even make any more rude insults or comments about the article at all. In class, he'd make fun of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but his smirk would drop into a blank expression whenever Pansy tried to make fun of Brooke. She almost missed those times when they hated each other. It was much better than Malfoy ignoring her existence completely.

"Brooke Miller," a burly seventh year ran up next to her while walking the corridors.

"Do I know you?" she said coolly. It hadn't been a great day, going through the letter burning routine, being stared at in fear from first years, and random people like this seventh year boy coming up to her and mentioning something about the article.

"No," he chuckled. "But I sure know you."

"Take a number." Brooke continued walking, not even bothering to look at him.

"Everyone's talking about you," he had to walk faster to catch up with her as she now took long strides.

"Really now? I guess I was just too oblivious the past few weeks to not have noticed people like you _bugging _me about it," Brooke said, starting to lose her temper.

"Oooh," he looked her up and down, "You _are _fiesty. I see you getting a lot of hate mail about it. I think fiestiness a good thing, personally. Maybe I could see some of that in the prefect's bathroom too," he whispered in her ear.

Afraid she might do something violent, she faced him and gave him the hand gesture he deserved.

Satisfied, she turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm so hard she quickly felt the lack of blood circulating to her hand.

"Let go!" she yelled, feeling her eyes burn, in the way she felt after pouring butterbeer over Rita Skeeter.

"What are you going to do?" he hissed, clutching even harder. She couldn't feel her fingers anymore, but saw how pale they became and how much the pink healing burns stood out. He called her something so degrading she made up in her mind to change to her Animagus and tear him up to pieces. But before she could morph into anything, she heard a smack as someone, whom she thought must have been Harry or Ron, punched the seventh year in the eye. He let go of her wrist and Brooke massaged it before looking up to see the back of tall pale student, a gold chain hanging underneath his robes, yelling at the fallen seventh year.

"You stay away from her!" he yelled. "And if you ever even look at her, I'll sew your eyes shut."

Brooke watched the seventh year, clutching his face as he ran off.

"Are you okay?" Draco turned to her. He saw the red clutch marks on her wrist.

"I'll be fine," she forgot about her arm and eyed the crowd of students that now surrounded the scene. "What are you doing?"

"You're hurt," he explained simply, holding her wrist gently.

"Drac-"

He took her jaw and pressed his lips gently on hers.

She wanted to relish every sensation of it, but they stopped, hearing a loud gasp. They thought the boy had called a teacher, but it came from Pansy Parkinson. Draco's friends were behind her, all with astonished and confused looks on their faces.

"DRACO?!" Parkinson squeaked with her mouth wide open.

"Just let me explain," Draco started, looking a little scared, but haughty nonetheless.

"Wh-…How? You-…her?! But, we…and…," Parkinson blabbed on in incomplete staccato phrases.

He realized there were still students surrounding them, listening intently to what was going on. "Oi! Get to class!" he yelled to them and to Brooke's surprise, they hesitantly dispersed.

"_What is going on_?" Pansy shrieked, finally.

"Well, you know the Beauxbatons girl from the ball?" he said.

Crabbe, Goyle, and the rest of their Slytherin gang nodded. Pansy stood with her arms crossed. It was the most distressed Brooke had ever seen her.

"Well," Draco nodded to her. "That was Brooke."

They stared.

"And we're together," he grabbed her hand.

"Miller," growled Pansy, ready to scratch Brooke's eyes out.

"What on earth is going on here?" Professor Sprout approached them.

"Nothing, Professor," Brooke said. "Just having a little chat."

"Keep it quiet a bit. Those shrieks echo through the entire corridors," she walked away, leaving them still in an astonished and awkward silence.

"So…anyone have anything to say about it?" He asked threateningly.

He received more blank stares from his friends, utterly baffled.

"I'll meet you all later, then," he nodded and led Brooke the opposite way, away from them.

Brooke looked back and saw Pansy with confusion, jealousy, anger and sadness written all across her pug like face. Crabbe and Goyle looked exactly as they do whenever Professor Binns asks them a question in class. The rest of the Slytherins began to whisper together, resembling the hissing of snakes.

"I guess that wasn't as bad as I thought…" Draco said quietly.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, stunned herself that the one time he recognized her presence was in front of the entire corridor.

"I had to," he said. "And that idiot was going after you."  
"Thanks, by the way," she smiled at him. "Does this mean I can have my necklace back?" Brooke asked, hoping.

"Oh, that reminds me," he put his arms behind his neck and unlatched a golden chain.

"You were wearing a necklace?" Brooke laughed.

"Where else was I supposed to put it," he muttered, with light pink patches appearing on his face. He put the pendant back on Brooke.

"You were scared weren't you?" she pulled her hair around. "Telling your friends."

"Of course not," he said defiantly, gaining back his usual pompous hint.

"It's alright if you did. I'm a little scared of what everyone's going to say now. It'll spread to the entire school by the end of the day, I bet you."

They spent some hours just talking. Draco revealed that Pansy had sent a couple of the hate letters to her. Brooke didn't mind now, since Pansy was probably in mild depression; her little fantasy of being in love with Draco now crushed.

They compromised on what they would do with their friends, who hated each other and were known to the entire school for it. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the easiest to deal with, since they knew the entire time, however, when it came to the other Gryffindors and Slytherins, she and Draco decided it was best to not try to force them to like each other. They would only try to keep it on a respectable level. No hexing and no blatant insults around them and no duels.

Students stared at them, whispering behind books and hands when they walked down the corridors together and especially when they went into the Great Hall. Heads would turn and follow them until they separated and sat down at their house table. Brooke found it sadly ironic, that most of her friends who stood by her after Rita Skeeter's article, avoided her or questioned her now that she was with Draco. Parvati and Lavendar haven't moved from little "hm"s, "erm"s, "dunno"s and "heh"s whenever she tried to talk to them in their dormitory or in classes.

Soon, she found that the only ones that felt comfortable talking to her, besides Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco, were Neville, Dean, Seamus, and the Weasleys. Draco didn't have much of an easy time with his friends either. He complained how some even called him a traitor and a mudblood lover. Crabbe, Goyle and reluctantly, Pansy, were the ones he usually talked to nowadays.

Brooke felt bad. It was her fault he was losing his friends, but everyone would get over sometime.

Harry told them the third task was a maze. She, Ron and Hermione helped Harry with the third task, practicing hexes and jinxes and finding any other helpful thing in the library books Hermione picked out. Sometimes, even Draco would join in. The initial awkwardness of having all of them in the same room eventually loosened up. Harry, Ron and Draco didn't know what to say each other after only exchanging insults over the past years.

"Erm. Brooke," Draco said. They both were in the library. She helped him do Transfiguration homework as she pawned through both Animagus books and magical communication books. Brooke was determined to find out how those articles kept picking up things from Hogwarts. "Those articles…from Rita Skeeter?"

"Yeah?" she looked up from her notes.

"I sort of…helped. You know, by telling her all those things to her," he looked at her guiltily.

"Well, of course. You _did_ tell her I have naughty reputation," Brooke glared at him jokingly.

"Well, not just that, erm," Draco was battling something within himself and eventually sighed. "She said to keep it a secret…"

"What? Keep what a secret?" Brooke leaned in, excited to finally take one more step to getting revenge on Rita Skeeter.

"She's an Animagus."

"No," Brooke gasped in amazement of how obvious it was and it was her specialty. "Turns into what? A fly?"

"A beetle. And we've…the Slytherins and I…have been feeding her information through that. She told us she's been flying all around Hogwarts."

"You decide to tell me this now? I told you I was trying to get back at her," Brooke said, happily closing her books.

Later, during dinner, she told Harry, Ron and Hermione, who then, kept their eyes out for any suspicious looking beetles around. But, they grew too busy with the piling homework and constant practicing with Harry to prepare for the third task. To Brooke and Draco's dismay, students and even some teachers still had an interest in their new friendship.

Professor McGonagall had even talked about it with her during one of their Animagus practice sessions. They were reviewing on changing one specific body part.

"Not that it I want to pry," said McGonagall. "But I noticed you and Mr. Malfoy resolved your differences."

"We have," smiled Brooke, toggling back and forth with a human nose, then a tiger nose. She felt comfortable talking with Professor McGonagall, since she spent an extra thirty minutes a day with her, one on one. Brooke considered her as somewhat of a nanny, here at Hogwarts. "You're not going to avoid me too because of that, are you?" she joked.

"No, no, of course not," McGonagall's nails easily became retractable cat claws. "Mr. Malfoy, although not the sweetest, is nonetheless a bright student."

"Don't worry, Professor. I know he's been a jerk around school, but he really can be nice if he wanted to."

"I expect you've been training that boy no doubt," she smiled.

It hadn't been the first time Brooke had heard that she was indeed changing Draco. She was careful not to change him so much that he was completely unrecognizable. And Draco wasn't exactly someone who would be very willing to become a softhearted noble. She had to stop him, Crabbe and Goyle from tormenting a small pack of first year Hufflepuffs a few days ago. Their relationship was unorthodox, to say the least.


	9. Into The Maze

The weeks had passed and Brooke found herself bidding good luck to Harry, who nervously went with the other three champions to face the third task. She, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George sat with Mrs. Weasley and Bill, Harry's pleasant surprise. The champions' families came to visit to watch them compete in final task. Mrs. Weasely tried to avoid talking to her, until, thankfully, Harry set her straight saying they weren't going out at all. Her usual warm and welcoming smile only lasted a little while. They were showing them around Hogwarts and Draco came up to say hello as they neared the Slytherin common room.

"Oh! And I believe everyone knows Draco," Brooke said, blushing furiously upon realizing Mrs. Weasley and Bill weren't aware of the two. She could feel the rising tension and was trying to think of the easiest way to deliver the news.

"Don't worry, mum," George patted Draco on the shoulder. "He's not too much of a git now that he and Brooke are going out."

She and Draco chuckled uncertainly under their surprised gawking.

To Draco's defense, he had been very gentlemanly like, smiling and even shaking their hands. Mrs. Weasley and Bill, on the other hand, were reluctant to return the favor and only looked at Brooke with wide, disapproving eyes. She'd thought she'd be used to it by now, but it's something hard to ignore.

"Ladies and gentleman," Ludo Bagman yelled into his wand as they were in the stands just around the front of the massive maze. "The third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each- Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School! In second place, with eighty points- Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place- Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Harry looked up to them and they waved back, smiling. Draco couldn't bring himself any further than to clap, however, Brooke owed Draco for deciding to watch the task with them instead of cheering for Krum like most of the Slytherins.

She was hoping Harry would come back with the trophy in no time. The maze had to be a task made for him, after all the things he's been through already. Fighting Quirrel, Fluffy, the magic flying keys, Devil's Snare, a Troll, the Dementors, Brooke listed down in her head, each one, more reassuring.

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three- two- one-"

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried into the maze and they were gone. Brooke wondered if the audience would be able to hear what would go on in the maze, for she was convinced there were more dangerous things than dragons and mermaids. Bagman whistled in Krum and then Fleur. Then, they were left to wait and hope.

They sat down, talking about what they thought the champions had to go through to get to the trophy.

"I think we prepared Harry enough. I mean, he's gotten down the general jinxes and charms," said Hermione, despite a worried expression on her face.

"I wonder if Hagrid got more dragons somewhere," Ron stared in the maze, as if trying to see any hint of scales and fire.

"Maybe they got a hold on another Basilisk and put it in there," said Draco. Brooke knew he was just trying to be more conversational, but the rest were horrifically surprised, especially Mrs. Weasely, remembering Ginny being captured her first year in the Chamber of Secrets.

Even Hermione and Ron tried to loosen the obvious, but unmentioned tension, ultimately failing and only getting Bill to stiffly talk to Draco.

"Well, it's not like they're _your _parents," muttered Draco, giving up.

"Yes, but they're like family," said Brooke, also losing hope.

"They're not exactly thinking the same thing about me," said Draco bitterly.

"They have good reason to. Your father's been absolutely horrible to them all these years. And so have you, for that matter."

"So you still think I'm so horrible?" he said defensively.

"I didn't say that. But you can't possibly believe you've been an angel the other three years."

"Right now, I think I've been angel. I didn't say one thing about them being poor or muggle lovers. I haven't even called Granger a mudblood in months!" he whispered loudly.

"And I'm so proud of you, but please, just…I really want them to like you too," she said, receiving a disbelieving glower. "Which I'm sure they will…sometime," she hoped, doubtfully.

The minutes passed by without a sign of the champions. Then, red sparks flew into the sky, the signal of a champion giving up. They were all relieved to see it was Fleur and not Harry, who had been escorted out of the maze by a teacher. She looked disheveled with bits of grass and leaves stuck in her hair. She was babbling angrily in French to Madame Maxine.

The audience drifted back into their conversations, now having evidence that the task was hard enough to make someone forfeit.

Later, Bagman announced to the crowd of Viktor Krum forfeiting, returning very confused and angry. It sparked a loud cheering war between those supporting Cedric and those supporting Harry.

Another hour had gone by and no sign of either champion was seen. Brooke wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She kept picturing Harry facing something they didn't prepare for and being in so much danger he couldn't reach his wand to send up sparks. Her head was resting on Draco's shoulder, tired, but too anxious to be sleepy.

Then in one instant, the crowd heard a thump. Both Harry and Cedric returned and the audience roared so loud that they couldn't hear a word Bagman was yelling into his wand. The trumpets went off and her eardrum went numb with cheering. The crowd bounced up and down, raising their hands in the air. It was over, she sighed, yelling at the top of her lungs in joy. Then she looked at Harry. She expected him to be beaming and holding up the trophy, delight shining on his face. Instead, he was still on the floor, clutching onto Cedric, crying. She stopped clapping and whooping.

"What? What's wrong? I'm more excited than you are!" yelled a smiling Draco, who noticed her quick stop.

But Brooke only stared fearfully and intently on the two champions. The audience soon began to quiet and instead of happy cheers, they only heard Harry's echoing cries piercing through the night. It drew the blood from her face and gave her chills to hear him like that. Teachers and judges darted forward and Dumbledore tried to pry Harry off of Cedric's body, who lay unmoving. They were gasping, shocked faces, screaming, even.

The stands heard Cornelius Fudge, pale in the face and panic in his voice, "He's dead!" It echoed through the crowd. Ripples. "He's dead! "Cedric Diggory! Dead!" Brooke stared again, into Harry's screwed up face over Cedric, staring blankly into the sky.

Gasping, she grabbed for Draco's hand, scared and her mind reeling in thousands of directions. He was just as shocked as she was, his hand as cold as hers. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory raced forward, the greatest fear in their eyes. They started weeping hysterically upon their dead son. She tore herself away and saw Cho, who had already ran down the stairs to the field, her face buried into her hands. More blood drew from her face. Her nerves jolted cold.

Draco squeezed her own hand, his eyes wide, jaw clenched and mouth frowning.

Not knowing what made them all snap back to reality, she, Draco, Hermione and all the Weasleys went down the stairs without a word. They only found the tragedy up close, cries louder, one hundred times more awful. Harry, Dumbledore and even McGonagall had all run off somewhere.

Mrs. Weasley said something about the Hospital Wing, and they hurried along. The nervous chatter and exclamations faded as they moved away in silence.

They could now only hear the rustle of leaves from the chilly night wind and echoing cries over Cedric's dead body. The moon had risen, leaving a solemn blue glow and brought shadows to life, moving along the corridors.

When they had gotten to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey came, rushing to the sound of the door.

"Where's Harry?" they sounded all at once.

"I'm sorry, but he hasn't been here. I haven't seen anyone all night. The task didn't turn out well?" she asked innocently.

"That's an understatement," said Fred.

"It was terrible. You haven't heard him _any_where?" said Mrs. Weasely.

"No, not at all."

"But he _should_ be here," said Brooke.

"He _has_ to, he's not anywhere near the maze," said Bill.

"What happened to him?" demanded Ron.

"I said I don't know!" exclaimed Madam Pomfrey.  
Just then, the doors opened and Harry came in, accompanied by Dumbledore and a large black dog. They rushed forward, but Dumbledore put a hand up, stopping them in their tracks.

"Harry has been through quite an ordeal tonight," said Dumbledore softly. "And I have just made him relive it. What he needs now is rest. You all are welcome to stay with him if it's okay with Harry, but I want no one to question him until he is ready, and that is definitely not tonight."

They nodded, still looking at Harry who glared darkly at Draco, then looked down, avoiding eyes. Brooke turned to Draco, who looked quite confused and especially pale, considering the moonlight.

"Headmaster," said Madam Pomfrey, staring at Sirius. "May I ask what-"

"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," said Dumbledore simply. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry- I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge. I would also like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." He left.

Madam Pomfrey gave Harry some pajamas. He changed in silence. No one knew what to say.

"Is he going to be alright?" Harry finally spoke, laying on the bed, staring at Moody. Brooke hadn't noticed him and why he looked so weak, ragged and helpless. He looked much thinner than he had a few hours ago, but obeying Dumbledore's orders, they kept quiet.

"He'll be fine," said Madam Pomfrey and she went to get a potion.

"I'm alright," Harry looked at them all, who looked back, scared. "I'm just tired."

Then Madam Pomfrey came back giving Harry a potion for dreamless sleep and he soon drifted off.

Hermione sighed and sat down on one of the cots, shaking her head. Ron sat next to her, his expression somber.

"Hey, I think I should get going," Draco whispered in her ear.

"No, it's okay. You can stay with us for a bit, if you want," she whispered back. Truthfully, she was afraid and having his hand there anchored her.

"I want to, trust me, but I think you should be alone with them."

"I'll walk you to your common room," she agreed.

Draco said goodnight to them, but they only nodded and kept staring at Harry.

They crept out of the Hospital Wing to face the same empty and gloomy corridors. It seemed like the whole world was dismal. The couple created echoing steps, themselves matching to the quietness of the school, until they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Goodnight," Draco said.

"Sit with me for a little?" she didn't let go of his hand. "Please?"

He smiled and nodded, following her to sit at the window's ledge. There, they had a clear view of the now empty Quidditch field and the moon above it, crickets chirping their sad song.

"Thanks for staying with me the whole day," she said quietly.

He grasped her hand tighter, looking outside.

"I can't believe this all happened," she continued.

"Neither can I, but death happens."

"Not like this," she shook her head, "Not in some lighthearted competition."

"Someone was bound to die sometime in this thing," he shrugged.

"He was here a few hours ago. Alive and breathing and now he's gone. And to imagine," she squinted at the air, "that whatever happened to Cedric could have easily happened to Harry." She wouldn't have believed it. Not only was he one of her best friends, but to the rest of the world, he became the symbol of everything against Dark magic.

He pulled her in to rest in the warm cocoon of his body. Feeling incredibly grateful to have someone to hide away in, Brooke buried her head into his chest and let him hold her tightly. It would be lovely. It would be so lovely to stay like that forever and let everything else fade away.

"Did you notice the death glare he gave me just a while ago?" said Draco, suddenly.

"I did, actually. I wonder why. You didn't do anything, did you?"

"Of course not," he snapped. "I wish you would stop insisting that I do everything wrong."

"Sorry," she sighed. "Bad habit."

They paused for a while again, listening to the silence.

"I should be getting to bed," said Draco, unleashing her from his grasp. "I'm sure your friends are wondering where you went off to."

"Oh, erm don't mention anything to anyone, alright?" she asked.

"I won't. I promise. And I'll see you as soon as I wake up tomorrow."

"I'll probably be in the Hospital Wing."

They said goodnight and Brooke went back to find Hermione, Ron, Bill and Mrs. Weasley, now sitting down, expressions the same.

"Where did Fred, George and Ginny go?" she whispered to Hermione.

"Back to their dormitories. Mrs. Weasley's orders," she replied.

Harry lay there, in dreamless sleep, somewhere where no one could touch him or hurt him. Whatever happened that night, he could forget, just for this period of time. Tomorrow, he would have to wake up, realizing everything was real again.

Half an hour passed without a word breaking the air.

"What do you think happened?" Ron whispered.

"Something terrible, that's for sure," Hermione replied.

"Best not to jump to conclusions," warned Mrs. Weasley.

It wasn't too late in the night and they were wide awake, whispering back and forth until footsteps approached along with yelling.

Dumbledore, Fudge and McGonagall had stormed into the Hospital Wing. What they were arguing about was a little hard to catch on, but Brooke soon understood. Someone- a Death Eater, she assumed, had been captured and kissed by a dementor. Dumbledore was furious and tried to convince Fudge that Voldemort had returned.

She shared a look with Ron and Hermione, who were just as perplexed.

With all the racket, it was no surprise that Harry was awake, up and listening every word they were saying. He told them what happened.

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy-"

Harry glanced at Brooke for a half second and Brooke's eyes widened. Harry must have remembered Lucius when he saw Draco at the Hospital Wing. She wasn't sure where this would put her between them. The two Malfoys were separate in her mind. Although, looking the same and being related, she knew Draco was nothing like his idiotic excuse for a father. No one else would be as convinced.

"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibly affronted. "A very old family- donations to excellent causes-"

"Macnair!" Harry continued.

"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"

"Avery- Nott- Crabbe- Goyle-"

She mentally checked off every one of Draco's Slytherin friends as Harry called them out, each one, burrowing a hole in her stomach.

The only thing she could think of was _now what._

Once they all left, the room was silent again and none of them spoke.

At some point during the heated conversation, Brooke had sat down next to Hermione. She could understand why Fudge was so adamant on not believing Voldemort was back. Who'd want to believe it? If it had been up to anyone in the room, however, none would hesitate in smacking the Minister of Magic across the face for his stubbornness.

Still, it was a lot to take in, especially once Snape had come in and revealed his Dark Mark. Nothing seemed to make much sense anymore.

"You've got to take the rest of your potion, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said at last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on his bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while…think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"

"I don't want that gold," said Harry in an expressionless voice. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."

Harry was far away. Physically, he was only a couple of feet, but he stared off at the sack of gold.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Mrs. Weasley whispered.

"I told him to take the cup with me," said Harry. His eyes began to shine and Brooke couldn't see him like that. She looked around the room, looked for nothing, but wished it could have been a happy night. They could have been celebrating with him with all their friends, coming up with the strangest ideas to spend the money on.

Her eyes managed to land back upon Harry. Mrs. Weasley put the potion down and hugged Harry. He cried in her arms, just as he cried when he landed back in the Quidditch field, carrying Cedric and the trophy. Brooke blinked away. Everything Dumbledore threw upon Fudge, she had on repeat in her head. For Harry to witness so much…

Something made a loud pounding, making the rest of them jump. Hermione was on her tiptoes to reach the window, shoulders up, eyes glowing with excitement.

"Sorry about that," she whispered, hands still clasped down holding a scurrying little beetle with pointed glasses.


	10. Normalcy

Classes were light with homework and even the exams seemed as half hearted attempts instead of the usual threateningly long pieces of parchment with small print. McGonagall admitted to Brooke that she's been busy with a lot of outside Hogwarts business; things that she would most likely find out about later, but certainly not soon. Now Brooke had plenty more free time than she had over the year, no scheduled Animagus sessions and hours in the library with Hermione.

The day after the third task, Hermione pulled out a small enchanted glass case she held the beetle version of Rita Skeeter in. Brooke, Harry and Ron were all delighted as much as Hermione was to have physical control of her. At times, they rattled the case, making her bounce around, but in general, she tried to not stoop down to her level, besides blackmailing her to never write horrible stories again or her secret would be revealed. Inside the little sturdy bubble of a world, Brooke felt bad and gave her a small bed, a red rug (torn off from an old piece of fabric), shrunken lamps and a few shrunken _Daily Prophets_.

Besides their new pet, life at Hogwarts returned to normalcy, which was the opposite of what she expected, especially after the chaos at the Quidditch field two weeks ago. Dumbledore had called the students, all except Harry- who was still laying in the Hospital Wing, to the Great Hall. He politely asked them to not ask Harry anything about the incident, but that never stopped them from whispering about it whenever Harry passed by. Even she, Hermione and Ron hadn't mentioned anything about that night since it happened. They were prepared for him to go on about it at least a little, but he remained silent, often keeping to himself.

Brooke tried to split her newfound time between her best friends and Draco. As soon as she saw him after they said goodnight, he asked her what the entire story was. She admitted she only heard bits and pieces of what really happened, but still didn't want any of it spilling out to the school, in fear of rumors stemming from the little information they had. The only thing she promised him was that he would find out soon enough. Everyone would.

In those weeks, she hadn't forgotten the names of the Death Eaters Harry listed, the first one being the father of the boy whose hand she was holding in the corridors. Never had she taken a liking to Mr. Malfoy and she felt that neither had Draco. Although he never said it outright, Brooke got the feeling there was a lot more lurking behind his words.

During the last of the Hogsmeade weekends for the year, they sat down in Madam Puddifoot's. It wasn't Draco's first choice, but he agreed to try something new. They ordered their tea.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" she began, watching him as he frowned at the happy cherubs floating around the tables.

"Like what?"

"Well, you'd tell me the truth, right? Always? No matter what?"

"Is this another 'evil Draco' question?" he said, knowing that Brooke sometimes asked him about the rumors that went around Hogwarts or simply asking to make sure he wasn't much of a sniveling git she used to think.

"No, no," she said quickly. "Not exactly. You see, after the third task…" she trailed off, unsure of her wording. "Has anything…strange been going on around your house?"

"No," he said, eyeing her.

"Nothing unusual, like say, with your parents?"

"What are you talking about?"

She sighed. "Harry is quite convinced that your father is a Death Eater."

"What?" Draco put down the sugar packet he was playing with, looking at her incredulously. "My father, a Death Eater? So this is an 'evil Draco' question."

"It's not, I swear. I mean. I know _you_ aren't-"

"But you're not sure whether or not I come from a Death Eater family, right?"

Brooke groaned, regretting she brought up the subject at all. A cherub came rushing at the sound of unhappiness, smiling from ear to ear. It only made her disgusted at the fake blank smile it gave her.

"It's just that, Harry said he saw your father that night when… Oh, might as well tell you the story anyway," she gave up. "But you have to promise me, you won't say a word, not to _any_one, alright? Even me. It vanishes as soon as you hear it."

"Yeah, I promise," he leaned closer, curiosity swimming in his grey eyes.

She only whispered to him the important details of what she heard from Dumbledore and Fudge's conversation including the portkey, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's return, and the Death Eaters returning at his side.

"Huh," was all he said after that.

"I was surprised too. It seemed so unrealistic, things I heard in stories only."

"No, I'm not too surprised. Slytherin's talk a lot," he added at her suspicious expression, "mostly about how he was already back or would be back soon enough, with all these odd things happening this year."

"Well, now it's for sure."

"And Potter said he saw my father there?"

She nodded.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure there's plenty of people in the entire Wizard community that look like my father."

"He said You-Know-Who said his name out loud. He's one hundred percent sure."  
Draco gave a short hollow laugh and shook his head, looking out the window.

"You'll tell me, won't you?" asked Brooke, hesitantly. "If you find out?"

"Brooke, you think my father is a Death Eater and I'm sure you think that I'm one too."

"No, I don't," she said firmly. "And I trust Harry. He wouldn't lie."

"That may be so, but who knows what was in that godforsaken maze that messed with his head!"

She shushed him, trying to be patient and said, "Keep your voice down. And he hadn't gone mad alright? He knew what he saw."  
"It's not like you were there, Brooke," he said sharply.

At this time, their tea had been given to them and Brooke had a half instant to pour the hot contents on Draco's head.

"Listen, I'm only telling you because I'm worried…for you and for Harry. Just say you'll promise me. Whatever happens, you'll tell me," she stared him straight in the eyes.

"Fine," he muttered.

"That's not promising."

"Fine," he raised his voice. "I promise."

She reached across the table to grab his hand. "I didn't want to fight," she said, lightheartedly. "Especially not now, with everything going on."

Draco stared on into this tea cup and Brooke hoped he would keep his promise, but a small stubborn feeling told her otherwise as she wondered just what he was thinking about.

With their bags all packed up, they left the dormitories to say goodbye to the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. Krum headed straight towards Hermione once he had her in sight and Brooke took this as a signal to leave the two alone. Everyone was saying their goodbyes, hugging each other and exchanging addresses. There, Brooke realized she hadn't been able to get to know many of them. But it made her smile to see how quickly friendships can be made.

"Hey," Draco came up to her from behind.  
"Hey," she replied. "Done packing?"

"Yep, just finished right now. I'm ready to get out of here."

"Oh, really?" she said scathingly. "You're not going to miss me at all?"

"It's not like I won't see you again," he shrugged before hugging her.

"You better write to me though," smiled Brooke, who had to look up to see his face.

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes. "But you better have Caleb fly straight to my room. My parents already know you're friends with Potter and they'd have a fit if they ever found out," he added, making her promise.

The Hogwarts Express came to a stop. Waving goodbye to Draco, Harry, Ron and Hermione, Brooke knew things were definitely changing.

* * *

**A/N: Hello :) Hope you enjoyed the first of the four parts of Draco & Brooke's story! To those who have read the original, I hope this one was loads better.**

**Just as a side note, this story is really short in comparison to the others. Think of it more as a prologue of sorts.**

**I am most likely going to be making some more changes throughout the last three parts- more specifically the next one (that takes place during Order of the Phoenix). For the last two, they're will be very few changes. Nothing huge, just revision and things to coincide with the changes made in the first and second parts. Hopefully I can get those in, in a timely manner. But anyway, thank you so much for reading & I hope you continue on!**


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